cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
A non-experimental study of oral anticoagulation therapy initiation before and after national patient safety goals
Creators: name: Viera, Anthony J.
name: Hassmiller Lich, Kristen
name: Brookhart, M. Alan
name: Greene, Sandra B.
name: Beadles, Christopher A.
name: Weinberger, Morris
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: ObjectivesThe Joint Commission revised its National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) to include oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) in 2008. We sought to examine the effect of including OAT in The Joint Commission's NPSGs on historically low rates of OAT initiation for individuals with incident atrial fibrillation (AF).SettingSoutheastern state in the USA.ParticipantsNorth Carolina State Health Plan claims data from 944 500 individuals enrolled between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010, supplemented with data from the Area Resource File and Online Survey, Certification and Reporting data network. We evaluated OAT initiation before and after the 2008 NPSGs revisions in a retrospective cohort new user design with an AF intervention group and two control groups: a positive control—patients estimated to be at very high risk of thromboembolism (mechanical heart valve and pulmonary embolism); and a negative control—patients with very low perceived risk of thromboembolism (paroxysmal AF). We developed multivariable models using a difference-in-difference parameterisation. Effects were estimated with generalised estimating equations.Primary outcome measureOAT initiation, a binary outcome defined as having a prescription drug claim for warfarin within 30 days of the index claim.ResultsOAT initiation was low (26.8%) for eligible individuals with incident AF in 2006–2008 but increased after NPSGs implementation (31.7%, p=0.022). OAT initiation was high but decreased in the positive control group (67.5% vs 62.0%, p=0.003). Multivariate analysis resulted in a relative 11% (95% CI (4% to 18%), p<0.01) increase in OAT initiation for incident AF patients.ConclusionsWe document a substantial increase in guideline concordant OAT initiation in incident AF after the establishment of NPSGs, suggesting that regulatory healthcare agency initiatives can influence clinical practice.
title: Integrated Behavioral-Health Supports: Combining PBIS and SEL at Tier 2
Creators: name: Franzmann, Thomas K.
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: Childhood behavior problems present many challenges for youth, families, and schools. To assist in preventing and reducing such problems, schools have adopted various strategies to assist with such concerns. Two widely used strategies for addressing problem behavior in schools are Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). While both have a plethora of evidence of their effectiveness independently, less is known as to whether than can compliment one another for even better outcomes. The current study examined the effectiveness of an integrated approach (PBIS + SEL) to classroom intervention for elementary school students exhibiting behavior problems. This was done by using two commonly used interventions in schools, Check-In/Check-Out (CICO; PBIS) and mindful breathing (MB; SEL). Results showed a small value-added effect when both interventions were used together as opposed to using CICO only. Furthermore, this appeared to reduce behavior problems as well as anxious and depressive symptoms in several youth as well. These findings raise questions for advancing research into the value of integrated behavioral-health interventions in schools.
Idempotents in intensional type theory
Creators: name: Shulman, Michael
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Logic (math.LO)
subject: Programming Languages (cs.PL)
subject: Category Theory (math.CT)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: We study idempotents in intensional Martin-Löf type theory, and in particular the question of when and whether they split. We show that in the presence of propositional truncation and Voevodsky's univalence axiom, there exist idempotents that do not split; thus in plain MLTT not all idempotents can be proven to split. On the other hand, assuming only function extensionality, an idempotent can be split if and only if its witness of idempotency satisfies one extra coherence condition. Both proofs are inspired by parallel results of Lurie in higher category theory, showing that ideas from higher category theory and homotopy theory can have applications even in ordinary MLTT. Finally, we show that although the witness of idempotency can be recovered from a splitting, the one extra coherence condition cannot in general; and we construct "the type of fully coherent idempotents", by splitting an idempotent on the type of partially coherent ones. Our results have been formally verified in the proof assistant Coq.
description: 24 pages. v2: final version, to appear in LMCS
title: Incorporating Sustainability Into Utah High School's Textiles and Apparel Curriculum
Creators: name: Clouse, Michelle
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: The purpose of this study was to propose sustainability-based curriculum changes to Utah's textiles and apparel (TA) curriculum. This study's specific curriculum change proposals are limited to Sewing Construction and Textiles (SCT) 1 and Sports and Outdoor Design (SOD) 1 courses. The proposed changes were made with the input of 24 Utah FCS TA educators via a research-developed survey on Qualtrics. FCS TA educators were asked to give their input on sustainability topics already taught in their classroom, teaching methods of sustainable topics, potential barriers to incorporating sustainability into the curriculum, and their receptiveness to curriculum change.
The Teacher Attitudes Towards Curriculum Change Model (TATCCM) was developed and validated to measure teacher receptiveness to curriculum change. The TATCCM can be used to determine any group of teachers' receptiveness to curriculum change. Relationships were examined between teacher receptiveness and teacher demographics and perceived barriers to incorporating sustainability. "Years Taught" was the most common significant variable when predicting reactions to curriculum change.
The proposed curriculum was meant to validate Utah FCS teachers' efforts to incorporate sustainability and align the curriculum with FCS organizations. The sustainable principles incorporated into the curriculum were informed by common sustainability topics already being taught, potential barriers to including sustainability in the TA curriculum, variables from respondents' reactions to curriculum change, the National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences (NASAFCS) Education, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) learning compass, and Mezirow's 11 Phases of the Transformative Learning Cycle.
Future research should continue exploring other states' efforts toward incorporating sustainability into their TA curriculums. To support the proposed changes to the curriculum, lesson plans, and professional development should be provided to educators.
Serum vaspin role in atherosclerosis and glucose tolerance disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Creators: name: Muhammad, Faizal
Publisher: name: Open Science Framework
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Medicine and Health Sciences
subject: Adipokine
subject: Atherosclerosis
subject: Diabetes mellitus
subject: Insulin resistance
subject: Obesity
subject: Vaspin

description: Visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) is an adipokine associated with the insulin resistance (IR) process, obesity, and inflammation. Serum vaspin role and significant alteration in its levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and atherosclerotic disease have been severally reported. Nevertheless, these immense changes and role have been studied and different results were observed across several atherosclerosis and glucose tolerance disorders-associated studies due to differences in design, sample size and baseline parameter, and population race. Hence, we performed systematic review to establish and summarize the latest results of serum vaspin levels alteration and its role in atherosclerosis and glucose tolerance disorders.
title: Geographic Variation in Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia lignaria) Development and Performance as a Managed Pollinator in the Western United States
Creators: name: Scalici, Morgan B.
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: Most flowering plants, including many cultivated food crops, will only produce well-developed fruits and seeds if pollen is transferred from one flower to another with the help of an animal pollinator. Honey bees are the most well-known and ubiquitous but are poor pollinators of some commercially important crops, or are in poor supply during crop bloom. In such cases, farmers will employ other managed pollinators such as bumble bees or solitary bees like mason and leafcutting bees. The blue orchard bee is North America's most agriculturally important native mason bee as effective pollinators of spring-blooming fruit crops. Differences in developmental biology between geographically distinct populations, in ways that impact their management, have recently been identified. Populations from northern Utah, where the bee was originally domesticated, have been the most well-studied and employed as pollinators. Much about how other populations differ in their development, reproduction, and nesting behavior is largely unknown. In the studies reported here, I compared development and post-emergence performance of blue orchard bees sourced from Utah with bees sourced from other western locations. In Chapter I, I compared in-orchard performance by California- and Utah-sourced bees in both states. Bees performed similarly in Utah orchards, but twice as many Utah-sourced females were observed in California orchards than were California-sourced. In Chapter II, I reared Utah- and Washington-sourced bees under constant and natural thermal regimens to compare effects on development and emergence. I found that development differed when these bee populations were reared at the same constant temperatures, and that both populations suffered from exposure to maximum temperatures in their respective orchard-growing regions. In Chapter III, I flew California- and Utah-sourced bees in screened field cages to examine the effects on development, emergence, and post-emergence performance. Bees from UT were twice as likely to establish nests than bees from CA, but nesting time and reproductive output of nesting females was similar. No disruption in male-female emergence timing was found in offspring of mixed population crosses. This research highlights novel differences in geographically distinct blue orchard bee populations and supports previous research that proposed a genetic basis for regional characteristics.
title: Enhancing Efficiency of the Nutrition Education for Utah Refugees
Creators: name: Nur, Habiba Ali
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: Refugees face many challenges related to obtaining and preparing adequate and culturally acceptable and desirable foods in their resettlement communities. These challenges often lead to risk of food insecurity and chronic diseases. A review of literature identified the existing delivery strategies and highlighted the need for nutrition education tailored to the refugees’ conditions. This study identified some of the barriers that refugees face, including the English language, transportation, finding items in grocery stores, availability of ingredients and equipment needed for cooking, affordability of food and budgeting. It also highlighted participants’ preference for having nutrition education.
To overcome these challenges, the Create Better Health (CBH) curriculum was adapted to be culturally relevant for Somali refugees in Utah. The adapted curriculum was used to teach Somali refugees in Utah about nutrition. This nutrition education was delivered online during a 2-hour session once per week for 12 weeks by a Somali professional. Pre- and post-intervention survey data demonstrated that several nutrition-related behaviors improved among the participants after receiving the intervention. Although many nutrition-related behaviors improved, most of the participants still were not meeting recommended levels of fruits and vegetables and most of the other indicators of the five domains.
Expanding the Universal Medication Schedule: a patient-centred approach
Creators: name: Sarkar, Urmimala
name: Bailey, Stacy Cooper
name: Lopez, Andrea
name: Russell, Allison
name: Moy, Glen
name: Chen, Alice Hm
name: Wolf, Michael S.
name: Schillinger, Dean
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: Improved drug labelling for chronic pill-form medications has been shown to promote patient comprehension, adherence and safety. We extended health literacy principles and included patients' perspectives to improve instructions for: (1) non-pill form, (2) short term, (3) ‘as needed,’ (4) tapered and (5) escalating dose medications.
A Real Time Facial Expression Classification System Using Local Binary Patterns
Creators: name: Happy, S. L.
name: George, Anjith
name: Routray, Aurobinda
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Facial expression analysis is one of the popular fields of research in human computer interaction (HCI). It has several applications in next generation user interfaces, human emotion analysis, behavior and cognitive modeling. In this paper, a facial expression classification algorithm is proposed which uses Haar classifier for face detection purpose, Local Binary Patterns (LBP) histogram of different block sizes of a face image as feature vectors and classifies various facial expressions using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The algorithm is implemented in real time for expression classification since the computational complexity of the algorithm is small. A customizable approach is proposed for facial expression analysis, since the various expressions and intensity of expressions vary from person to person. The system uses grayscale frontal face images of a person to classify six basic emotions namely happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise and anger.
description: IEEE Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Intelligent Human Computer Interaction, 2012
title: Understanding the Impact of Physicochemical Modifications on the Cold Gelling Behavior of Micellar Casein Concentrate Dispersions
Creators: name: Pougher, Nathan
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: When skim milk is filtered via microfiltration, the amount of casein (one of the major milk proteins) in solution can be concentrated. When casein content is high enough (>15%), the solution forms a gel at cold temperatures. With growing trends in the food industry towards simplistic ingredient labels, commonly used gums and stabilizers in the dairy industry are becoming less preferred. In the future, there is potential for the gelling properties of micellar casein to be applied to dairy products as a thickener or stabilizer, but the mechanism behind gel formation isn’t understood well. In this study, the gel strength, gelation temperature, and structural changes of casein in response to modifications were studied to understand how they may affect gelation. These modifications included reductions in protein content (from 18.5 to 10%), pH adjustment (from 6.2 to 6.8), addition of a calcium chelating salt (sequesters calcium, a structural component of casein), and addition of a common dairy stabilizer: kappa carrageenan. Protein content was the main determinant of gel strength; reductions from the original protein content of 18.5% to less than 15% resulted in weaker gels that required lower temperatures to form a gel. We found that as the pH increased from 6.2 to 6.8, stronger gels can be formed at a higher temperature. The addition of calcium chelating salts improved these qualities as well but increasing concentrations from moderate (25mM) to high (50mM) resulted in a reduction in gel strength. Microstructure analysis of gels via transmission electron microscopy revealed that with increasing pH, the micellar structure of casein was disintegrating, forming a dispersion of free casein fragments. Calcium chelation at moderate concentrations partially disintegrated the protein structure, but high concentrations led to the formation of large casein aggregates causing a reduction in gel strength. When kappa carrageenan was added, it allowed samples diluted to 10% protein to form a gel which was not previously possible. Kappa carrageenan had minimal interaction with casein, but it was responsible for a stronger gel. Overall, modifications of casein can increase the gel strength and temperature of gelation due to the structural changes in casein.
title: Characterization of Enterovirus D68 in a Mouse Model and Evaluation of Antiviral Therapies
Creators: name: Taylor, Zoe K.
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a virus that causes respiratory disease. Children are most commonly affected by EV-D68 but immunocompromised adults can also get infected and develop severe disease signs. In 2014, the United States experienced an unprecedented outbreak of EV-D68. Similar outbreaks were also observed in 2016, 2018 and 2022. Interestingly, few EV-D68 infections were observed in 2020, likely due to public health measures put in place to reduce the spread of another respiratory disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). EV-D68 is in the same virus family as polio, and one of the most concerning findings from these outbreaks is that EV-D68 cases were strongly correlated to cases of paralysis, typically in the upper limbs of infected children.
There are currently no recommended antiviral drugs or vaccines to fight EV-D68 infection. We evaluated six different antiviral compounds and determined their activity in cells against EV-D68. We found that Enviroxime, EIDD-1931, and NITD008 limited the ability of EV-D68 to replicate and cause cell death. We also characterized EV-D68 in a mouse model of infection to provide insights into the neurological disease caused by EV-D68. EV-D68 caused death and paralysis in 4-7-day old immunocompromised mice. Virus was detected in leg muscle, spinal cord, and lung tissues of infected mice. We evaluated EIDD-1931 and IVIg in our EV-D68 mouse model and found both treatments significantly reduced mortality mice. Treatment with IVIg was also able to significantly reduce paralysis in EV-D68-infected mice.
Mathematical details of the presented method from A general mathematical method for predicting spatio-temporal correlations emerging from agent-based models
Creators: name: Ovaskainen, Otso
name: Somervuo, Panu
name: Finkelshtein, Dmitri
Publisher: name: The Royal Society
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: 10202 Biological Mathematics
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: Agent-based models are used to study complex phenomena in many fields of sciences. While simulating agent-based models is often straightforward, predicting their behaviour mathematically has remained a key challenge. Recently developed mathematical methods allow the prediction of the emerging spatial patterns for a general class of agent-based models, whereas the prediction of spatio-temporal pattern has been thus far achieved only for special cases. We present a general and mathematically rigorous methodology that allows deriving the spatio-temporal correlation structure for a general class of individual-based models. To do so, we define an auxiliary model, in which each agent type of the primary model expands to three types, called the original, the past and the new agents. In this way, the auxiliary model keeps track of both the initial and current state of the primary model, and hence the spatio-temporal correlations of the primary model can be derived from the spatial correlations of the auxiliary model. We illustrate the agreement between analytical predictions and agent-based simulations using two example models from theoretical ecology. In particular, we show that the methodology is able to correctly predict the dynamical behaviour of a host–parasite model that shows spatially localized oscillations.
Final results from the Betaseron (interferon β-1b) Pregnancy Registry: a prospective observational study of birth defects and pregnancy-related adverse events
Creators: name: Sinclair, S. M.
name: Rametta, M. J.
name: Coyle, Patricia K.
name: Scheuerle, A. E.
name: Thorp Jr., J. M.
name: Albano, J. D.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: ObjectiveWomen with multiple sclerosis are often diagnosed and treated during their reproductive years. Limited data are available on the safety of treatment during pregnancy. The Betaseron Pregnancy Registry prospectively monitored women exposed to interferon β-1b (IFNβ-1b) during pregnancy to estimate the rates of birth defects, spontaneous abortions (SABs) and other negative outcomes in this population.DesignFrom 2006 to 2011, this observational registry enrolled women exposed prior to conception or during pregnancy (but prior to or without abnormalities on prenatal screening). Follow-up continued from enrolment through the 4-month paediatric visit.SettingPatients in the USA who met these criteria were enrolled in the registry.ResultsThe registry enrolled 99 pregnant women; 3 were lost to follow-up. The earliest exposure to IFNβ-1b occurred during the first trimester for 95 pregnancies and in the third trimester for 1 pregnancy. There were 99 birth outcomes (3 twins), including 86 (86.9%) live births, 11 (11.1%) SABs and 2 (2%) stillbirths. Birth defects were reported in five (5.1%) cases. Rates of birth defects and SAB were not significantly different from population comparators. No developmental concerns were identified at the 4-month paediatric visit.ConclusionsThe small sample size limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions; however, there was no pattern to suggest increased negative outcomes with IFNβ-1b.Clinical trials registration numberNCT00317564.
A giant radio halo in a low-mass SZ-selected galaxy cluster: ACT-CL J0256.5+0006
Creators: name: Knowles, Kenda
name: Intema, Huib T.
name: Baker, Andrew J.
name: Bond, J. Richard
name: Cress, Catherine
name: Gupta, Neeraj
name: Hajian, Amir
name: Hilton, Matt
name: Hincks, Adam D.
name: Hlozek, Renée
name: Hughes, Jack P.
name: Lindner, Robert
name: Marriage, Tobias A.
name: Menanteau, Felipe
name: Moodley, Kavilan
name: Niemack, Michael D.
name: Reese, Erik D.
name: Sievers, Jonathan
name: Sifón, Cristóbal
name: Srianand, Raghunathan
name: Wollack, Edward J.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present the detection of a giant radio halo (GRH) in the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ)-selected merging galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0256.5+0006 ($z = 0.363$), observed with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope at 325 MHz and 610 MHz. We find this cluster to host a faint ($S_{610} = 5.6 \pm 1.4$ mJy) radio halo with an angular extent of 2.6 arcmin, corresponding to 0.8 Mpc at the cluster redshift, qualifying it as a GRH. J0256 is one of the lowest-mass systems, $M_{\rm 500,SZ} = (5.0 \pm 1.2) \times 10^{14} M_\odot$, found to host a GRH. We measure the GRH at lower significance at 325 MHz ($S_{325} = 10.3 \pm 5.3$ mJy), obtaining a spectral index measurement of $α^{610}_{325} = 1.0^{+0.7}_{-0.9}$. This result is consistent with the mean spectral index of the population of typical radio halos, $α= 1.2 \pm 0.2$. Adopting the latter value, we determine a 1.4 GHz radio power of $P_{1.4\text{GHz}} = (1.0 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{24}$ W Hz$^{-1}$, placing this cluster within the scatter of known scaling relations. Various lines of evidence, including the ICM morphology, suggest that ACT-CL J0256.5+0006 is composed of two subclusters. We determine a merger mass ratio of 7:4, and a line-of-sight velocity difference of $v_\perp = 1880 \pm 280$ km s$^{-1}$. We construct a simple merger model to infer relevant time-scales in the merger. From its location on the $P_{\rm 1.4GHz}{-}L_{\rm X}$ scaling relation, we infer that we observe ACT-CL J0256.5+0006 approximately 500 Myr before first core crossing.
description: Updated version: 21 pages, 17 figures, published in MNRAS
Funding school graduation equity in Victoria
Creators: name: Gould, K
Publisher: name: CQUniversity
Year: 2017
Subjects: classificationCode: 390306
subject: Secondary education
classificationCode: 390403
subject: Educational administration, management and leadership

description: "The aim of this thesis was to develop and apply a model for determining the recurrent funding sufficiency for adequate resourcing of the three school sectors (Government, Catholic and independent) providing senior secondary programs in one advanced market society, the Australian State of Victoria."
title: Impacts in Fluids: Forces, Scaling Laws and Bouncing Modes in Projectile Impacts on Water Pools and Droplets
Creators: name: Rabbi, Rafsan
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2021

description: Projectile impacts in quiescent water pool are synonymous with intriguing splash phenomena and rich underwater physics. Depending on the material property, geometry and surface conditions of the impacting projectiles coupled with the geometric properties of the water pool (e.g., depth, width etc.), contrasting events like sub-surface cavity formation or bouncing of macro-droplets unfolds over millimetric timescales.
In this dissertation, I present four different studies that look at different aspects of impact events with the help of high-speed imaging techniques and implementation of other sensory data acquisition instruments. Firstly, I look at the force of impact associated with projectile water entry and the means of reducing said impact force through consecutive entry of projectiles. I show through a canonical sphere study that by means of consecutive entry of spheres, I can reduce the initial peak impact force felt by the second sphere. I extend this idea of multiple sphere water entry problem with a second study looking at side-by-side entry of spheres at low impact velocities. The close proximity of the two sphere-induced cavities break down the symmetric nature of the otherwise axisymmetric cavity formation mechanism, influencing a wide range of important cavity parameters such as deep-seal pinch-off time, creation of the the surface Worthington jet and underwater trajectories of the impacting spheres. Thirdly, I look at the characteristic times relating to sealing of underwater cavities created through water entry of projectiles, especially the intermediate-speed (30 m/s - 165 m/s projectile impact speed) surface seal cavities. Lastly, I look at deformable spheres impacting macro-water droplet resting on a hydrophobic surface and study a previously unknown droplet bouncing mechanism seen only for the deformable viscoelastic spheres.
Optimizing the Frequency of Quantum Error Correction using the [[7,1,3]] Steane Code
Creators: name: Abu-Nada, Ali
name: Fortescue, Ben
name: Byrd, Mark
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: A common assumption in analyses of error thresholds and quantum computing in general is that one applies fault-tolerant quantum error correction (FTQEC) after every gate. This, however, is known not to always be optimal if the FTQEC procedure itself can introduce errors. We investigate the effect of varying the number of logical gates between FTQEC operations, and in particular the case where failure of a postselection condition in FTQEC may cause FTQEC to be skipped with high probability. By using a simplified model of errors induced in FTQEC, we derive an expression for the logical error rate as a function of error-correction frequency, and show that in this model the optimal frequency is relatively insensitive to postselection failure probability for a large range of such probabilities. We compare the model to data derived from Monte Carlo simulation for the $[[7,1,3]]$ Steane code.
description: 9 pages, 6 figures
title: Understanding Support for Student Veterans and Servicemembers in Public Undergraduate Engineering Programs
Creators: name: Wilkinson, Hannah
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: Current efforts to increase research in diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering education have included research with military students pursuing undergraduate degrees in engineering at civilian, public academic institutions. In this thesis research, military students are defined as undergraduate students who a) have completed their service in the U.S. Armed Forces and are considered military veterans, and/or b) are current enlisted service members, such as in the U.S. Reserves or National Guard. An emerging topic of interest within the military student literature in engineering education has sought to explore the influence of “institutional agents” within military students’ experiences. The research that exists on this topic suggests that institutional agents in student-facing positions, such as faculty and academic advisors, can directly influence the persistence and success of military students in engineering.
This thesis research study, situated within 2- and 4- year institutions in the western United States, fulfills two primary objectives. First, this work develops new knowledge regarding institutional agents’ awareness of the assets, capabilities, and intersecting identities that military students bring to their engineering studies. Second, this study synthesizes promising practices that are currently used to support military students at both the institutional and engineering college levels. Findings highlight the importance of having diverse support personnel, such as veterans, in student facing roles in higher education. Findings also suggest that the context of an institution, including its size, community support, and location from the nearest military installation, impact institutional agents’ abilities to support military students. This study discusses ways of addressing these institutional limitations to create support programs that are successful long-term, including through 1) creating continuity of care in veteran resource offices and voluntary resources like veteran student clubs and mentorship programs, and 2) creating a regional community of military student support personnel where ideas for promising practices can be shared.
The accuracy of caries risk assessment in children attending South Australian School Dental Service: a longitudinal study
Creators: name: Slade, Gary D.
name: Chartier, Andrew D.
name: Ha, Diep H.
name: Spencer, A. John
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: ObjectivesTo determine the accuracy of the caries risk assessment system and performance of clinicians in their attempts to predict caries for children during routine practice.DesignLongitudinal study.Setting and participantsData on caries risk assessment conducted by clinicians during routine practice while providing care for children in the South Australian School Dental Service (SA SDS) were collected from electronic patient records. Baseline data on caries experience, clinicians’ ratings of caries risk status and child demographics were obtained for all SA SDS patients aged 5–15 years examined during 2002–2005.Outcome measureChildren’s caries incidence rate, calculated using examination data after a follow-up period of 6–48 months from baseline, was used as the gold standard to compute the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of clinicians’ baseline ratings of caries risk. Multivariate binomial regression models were used to evaluate effects of children's baseline characteristics on Se and Sp.ResultsA total of 133 clinicians rated caries risk status of 71 430 children during 2002–2005. The observed Se and Sp were 0.48 and 0.86, respectively (Se+Sp=1.34). Caries experience at baseline was the strongest factor influencing accuracy in multivariable regression model. Among children with no caries experience at baseline, overall accuracy (Se+Sp) was only 1.05, whereas it was 1.28 among children with at least one tooth surfaces with caries experience at baseline.ConclusionsClinicians’ accuracy in predicting caries risk during routine practice was similar to levels reported in research settings that simulated patient care. Accuracy was acceptable in children who had prior caries experience at the baseline examination, while it was poor among children with no caries experience.
Polyakov relation for the sphere and higher genus surfaces
Creators: name: Menotti, Pietro
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The Polyakov relation, which in the sphere topology gives the changes of the Liouville action under the variation of the position of the sources, in the case of higher genus is related also to the dependence of the action on the moduli of the surface. We write and prove such a relation for genus 1 and for all hyperelliptic surfaces.
description: 31 pages;typos corrected;eq.(141) corrected
title: An Overview of Sustainability Content in Higher Education: Applications for University Landscape Architecture Programs
Creators: name: Park, Hye Yeon
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2023

description: Higher education institutions worldwide have recognized the importance of integrating sustainability into their programs, with over 600 universities offering courses focused on sustainable development. This trend has led to the emergence of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This multidimensional approach aims to empower individuals to create a sustainable future by integrating environmental, social, and economic systems. In particular, ESD has been implemented in various aspects of higher education, such as course content, teaching methodologies, curriculum design, and faculty roles.
Design and planning education are critical components of shaping future decision-makers who will positively and negatively impact society and the environment. However, despite its potential to tackle complex design challenges, sustainability education in landscape architecture (LA) has received less attention from academia than other design and planning disciplines. As such, there is a need to prioritize integrating ESD into LA education to prepare future professionals for addressing social and environmental challenges.
The objective of this dissertation is to investigate the integration of ESD in LA education and to identify the approaches utilized and the benefits and challenges of integrating ESD into LA programs. The research method combines quantitative and qualitative research approaches, including surveys, syllabi, and document analysis. Therefore, the findings of this paper will inform LA educators and practitioners on best practices for integrating ESD into LA programs, preparing future professionals to address complex social and environmental challenges.
A controlled, before-and-after trial of an urban sanitation intervention to reduce enteric infections in children: research protocol for the Maputo Sanitation (MapSan) study, Mozambique
Creators: name: Schmidt, Wolf Peter
name: Bartram, Jamie
name: Kolsky, Peter
name: Cairncross, Sandy
name: Zuin, Valentina
name: Stewart, Jill
name: Zavale, Olimpio
name: Liang, Kaida
name: Ensink, Jeroen
name: Brown, Joe
name: Cumming, Oliver
name: Knee, Jackie
name: Norman, Guy
name: Holcomb, David
name: Rheingans, Richard
name: Liang, Song
name: Nala, Rassul
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2015

description: Access to safe sanitation in low-income, informal settlements of Sub-Saharan Africa has not significantly improved since 1990. The combination of a high faecal-related disease burden and inadequate infrastructure suggests that investment in expanding sanitation access in densely populated urban slums can yield important public health gains. No rigorous, controlled intervention studies have evaluated the health effects of decentralised (non-sewerage) sanitation in an informal urban setting, despite the role that such technologies will likely play in scaling up access.
Design and Synthesis of Some New N-(Thiazol-2-yl) Benzamides of Quinoxaline as DNA Topoisomerase II Targeting Anticancer Agents and ADMET
Creators: name: Bonakolluru, Yellaiah
name: Nukala, Satheesh Kumar
name: Dasari, Gouthami
name: Badithapuram, Vinitha
name: Manchal, Ravinder
name: Bandari, Srinivas
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 80699 Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: Cancer

description: We herein, described the synthesis of some new N-(thiazol-2-yl)benzamides of quinoxaline. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against three human cancer cell lines including MCF-7 (breast cancer), A549 (lung cancer) and HepG2 (liver cancer). In this study, etoposide was used as a positive control. The results revealed that the compounds 6d, 6e, 6i, 6j and 6m exhibited promising activity against three cancer cell lines. Predominantly, compound 6i displayed greater activity than the standard drug etoposide on MCF-7, A549 and HepG2 with IC50 values of 0.95 ± 0.063, 1.32 ± 0.16 and 1.24 ± 0.10 µM respectively. The cell viability assay carried out toward a normal breast cell line (MCF-10A) for five potent compounds 6d, 6e, 6i, 6j, and 6m, did not exhibit significant cytotoxicity with IC50 values above 85 µM for all compounds. Molecular docking studies of potent compounds 6d, 6e, 6i, 6j and 6m with DNA topoisomerase II revealed that they have a good affinity toward the target protein. In addition to this, in silico pharmacokinetic profile was achieved for the potent compounds 6d, 6e, 6i, 6j and 6m using SWISS/ADME and pkCSM, whereas 6d, 6e and 6i compounds followed Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge rules without any deviation.
Abortion legislation, maternal healthcare, fertility, female literacy, sanitation, violence against women and maternal deaths: a natural experiment in 32 Mexican states
Creators: name: Calhoun, Byron
name: Bravo, Miguel
name: Stanford, Joseph
name: Haddad, Sebastian
name: Koch, Elard
name: Pliego, Fernando
name: Chireau, Monique
name: Aracena, Paula
name: Thorp, John
name: Gatica, Sebastián
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2015

description: ObjectiveTo test whether there is an association between abortion legislation and maternal mortality outcomes after controlling for other factors thought to influence maternal health.DesignPopulation-based natural experiment.Setting and data sourcesOfficial maternal mortality data from 32 federal states of Mexico between 2002 and 2011.Main outcomesMaternal mortality ratio (MMR), MMR with any abortive outcome (MMRAO) and induced abortion mortality ratio (iAMR).Independent variablesAbortion legislation grouped as less (n=18) or more permissive (n=14); constitutional amendment protecting the unborn (n=17); skilled attendance at birth; all-abortion hospitalisation ratio; low birth weight rate; contraceptive use; total fertility rates (TFR); clean water; sanitation; female literacy rate and intimate-partner violence.Main resultsOver the 10-year period, states with less permissive abortion legislation exhibited lower MMR (38.3 vs 49.6; p<0.001), MMRAO (2.7 vs 3.7; p<0.001) and iAMR (0.9 vs 1.7; p<0.001) than more permissive states. Multivariate regression models estimating effect sizes (β-coefficients) for mortality outcomes showed independent associations (p values between 0.001 and 0.055) with female literacy (β=−0.061 to −1.100), skilled attendance at birth (β=−0.032 to −0.427), low birth weight (β=0.149 to 2.166), all-abortion hospitalisation ratio (β=−0.566 to −0.962), clean water (β=−0.048 to −0.730), sanitation (β=−0.052 to −0.758) and intimate-partner violence (β=0.085 to 0.755). TFR showed an inverse association with MMR (β=−14.329) and MMRAO (β=−1.750) and a direct association with iAMR (β=1.383). Altogether, these factors accounted for (R2) 51–88% of the variance among states in overall mortality rates. No statistically independent effect was observed for abortion legislation, constitutional amendment or other covariates.ConclusionsAlthough less permissive states exhibited consistently lower maternal mortality rates, this finding was not explained by abortion legislation itself. Rather, these differences were explained by other independent factors, which appeared to have a more favourable distribution in these states.
Thermodynamics of rotating thin shells in the BTZ spacetime
Creators: name: Lemos, José P. S.
name: Lopes, Francisco J.
name: Minamitsuji, Masato
name: Rocha, Jorge V.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We investigate the thermodynamic equilibrium states of a rotating thin shell, i.e., a ring, in a (2+1)-dimensional spacetime with a negative cosmological constant. The inner and outer regions with respect to the shell are given by the vacuum anti-de Sitter and the rotating Bañados-Teitelbom-Zanelli spacetimes, respectively. The first law of thermodynamics on the thin shell, together with three equations of state for the pressure, the local inverse temperature and the thermodynamic angular velocity of the shell, yields the entropy of the shell, which is shown to depend only on its gravitational radii. When the shell is pushed to its own gravitational radius and its temperature is taken to be the Hawking temperature of the corresponding black hole, the entropy of the shell coincides with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. In addition, we consider simple ansätze for the equations of state, as well as a power-law equation of state where the entropy and the thermodynamic stability conditions can be examined analytically.
description: 17 pages
Effect of once-daily indacaterol maleate/mometasone furoate on exacerbation risk in adolescent and adult asthma: a double-blind randomised controlled trial
Creators: name: Nelson, Harold S.
name: Donohue, James F.
name: Kim, Han Joo
name: Hederer, Bettina M.
name: Beasley, Richard W.
name: Moton, Allen
name: Clay, Michelle
name: Mehta, Rajendra
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2015

description: ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and efficacy of QMF149, a once-daily, fixed-dose combination of the long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) indacaterol maleate and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) mometasone furoate (MF) for the treatment of persistent asthma. The hypothesis was that QMF149 would not increase the risk of serious asthma exacerbations.Setting174 research centres in nine countries.Participants1519 adolescents and adults with persistent asthma who were treated or qualified for treatment with combination LABA/ICS were randomised, and 1508 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis.InterventionPatients were randomised to QMF149 (indacaterol maleate 500 µg/MF 400 µg) or MF (400 µg) once daily via Twisthaler inhalation device in a double-blind, parallel-group study for 6–21 months.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary end point was time to first serious asthma exacerbation (resulting in hospitalisation, intubation or death). The key secondary end point was annual rate of exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroids.ResultsTreatment with QMF149 resulted in no significant difference in time to first serious exacerbation compared to MF (2 (0.3%) vs 6 events (0.8%); difference −0.52 percentage point; 95% CI −1.25 to 0.21, p=0.160, HR=0.31; 95% CI 0.06 to 1.54, p=0.151). QMF149 significantly reduced the annual rate of exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroids (rate ratio=0.71; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.90, p=0.005). Proportions of patients experiencing adverse events were similar across groups (74.0% in the QMF149 group and 73.4% in the MF group). Serious adverse events occurred in 4% and 5.8% of patients in the QMF149 and MF groups, respectively.ConclusionsNo significant difference was observed in the primary outcome of time to first serious asthma exacerbation in patients treated with QMF149 compared with patients treated with MF. Long-term treatment with QMF149 once daily had a favourable safety/efficacy profile in adolescent and adult patients with persistent asthma.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov; NCT00941798.
Health literacy and 30-day hospital readmission after acute myocardial infarction
Creators: name: Annis, Izabela E.
name: Bailey, Stacy Cooper
name: Paasche-Orlow, Michael K.
name: Fang, Gang
name: Wolf, Michael S.
name: O'Conor, Rachel
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2015

description: ObjectiveTo assess the validity of a predictive model of health literacy, and to examine the relationship between derived health literacy estimates and 30-day hospital readmissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).DesignRetrospective cohort study.Setting and participantsA National Institute of Aging (NIA) study cohort of 696 adult, English-speaking primary care patients, aged 55–74 years, was used to assess the validity of derived health literacy estimates. Claims from 7733 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalised for AMI in 2008 in North Carolina and Illinois were used to investigate the association between health literacy estimates and 30-day hospital readmissions.MeasuresThe NIA cohort was administered 3 common health literacy assessments (Newest Vital Sign, Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, and Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine). Health literacy estimates at the census block group level were derived via a predictive model. 30-day readmissions were measured from Medicare claims data using a validated algorithm.ResultsFair agreement was found between derived estimates and in-person literacy assessments (Pearson Correlation coefficients: 0.38–0.51; κ scores: 0.38–0.40). Medicare enrollees with above basic literacy according to derived health literacy estimates had an 18% lower risk of a 30-day readmission (RR=0.82, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.92) and 21% lower incidence rate of 30-day readmission (IRR=0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.87) than patients with basic or below basic literacy. After adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, the risk of 30-day readmission was 12% lower (p=0.03), and the incidence rate 16% lower (p<0.01) for patients with above basic literacy.ConclusionsHealth literacy, as measured by a predictive model, was found to be a significant, independent predictor of 30-day readmissions. As a modifiable risk factor with evidence-based solutions, health literacy should be considered in readmission reduction efforts.