Sewanee: The University of the South
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Investigating ER Overuse Videos
No full textGrundy County is defined as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA), meaning that the county lacks the health care services required to adequately meet community needs. Research shows that across the U.S. in rural MUAs, citizens are increasingly seeking primary care at ERs. Our partner believes that analyzing ER discharge data may offer helpful insight into how Grundy County is medically underserved. Our team’s objective is to create an interactive dashboard that expresses trends in ER discharge data from Grundy County and the surrounding area to aid the SCHN in creating solutions to Grundy’s health service shortage.The South Cumberland Plateau (SCP) is made up of three counties, Grundy, Franklin, and Marion, all of which are defined as "medically underserved" by the Health Resources and Services Administration. This means that these communities lack the primary health care services and providers necessary to sufficiently meet residents' needs. Our partner, the South Cumberland Health Network (SCHN), wants to understand how these communities are being medically underserved. Our work this summer is dedicated to investigating trends in emergency room use from the South Cumberland Plateau in order to better understand how the community is medically underserved. The insight gained from our findings will inform the South Cumberland Health Network's advocacy moving forward aimed at closing the health care service gaps within these communities.Jim Peterman, Myles Elledge, South Cumberland Health Network (SCHN
Conditioned Place Preference for a Possible Cocaine Antagonist
Get PDFCocaine use and addiction are common and problematic. Within the past year, 1.3M people had a cocaine use disorder and 20,000 people died of cocaine overdose (NSDUH 2020). The present study had three goals. First, the same behavioral test can produce different results in different laboratories (Crabbe et al., 1999). We hoped to establish conditioned place preference (CPP) for cocaine in our laboratory mice, that was consistent with CPP reported by other laboratories. Second, response to many drugs, such as cocaine, can differ based on biological sex (Becker & Chartoff 2019). We wanted to identify sex differences in cocaine-induced locomotion and cocaine CPP. Third, females’ hormonal status can affect cocaine CPP and cocaine self-administration (Calipari et al., 2017, Johnson et al., 2019). We wanted to evaluate whether females’ estrus stage correlated with the strength of cocaine CPP. The CPP apparatus was composed of two chambers, one with white walls and grid flooring and the other with black walls and bar flooring. During the pre-conditioning session, mice passed freely between the chambers, to identify pre-existing chamber biases; the difference in time spent in each chamber was very small in both males and females. For the conditioning phase, mice were pseudorandomly assigned to receive cocaine (10mg/kg) or saline in each chamber, in an unbiased design (Cunningham et al., 2006). During each conditioning session, mice were injected with cocaine or saline before being placed in that chamber for 30min. Conditioned preference for the cocaine- and saline-paired chamber was then assessed. Both females and males showed an overall preference for the cocaine-paired chamber. The strength of this preference was consistent with existing literature. Control mice conditioned with saline in both chambers did not show an overall preference for either chamber, as expected. Cocaine also elevated locomotor activity during cocaine conditioning sessions; there were no sex differences in this cocaine-induced response. Estrus samples are currently being analyzed. Together, our findings revealed conditioned place preference for cocaine in both sexes, that is consistent with existing literatureKatharine Cammac
Cracking the Code to Student Flourishing Final Report
No full textA college is a place of growth and transformation where young adults are prepared both intellectually and socially for professional and adult life. However, over the last 10 years, the prevalence of mental health problems has risen steadily among college students with a particularly notable increase in symptom prevalence over the last 5 years. What is this down to? What are some key determinants of student flourishing and well-being? How do factors such as race and gender influence well-being? Using Healthy Mind’s Survey data that examines mental health, service utilization, and related issues among undergraduate and graduate students, our team of researchers at Sewanee DataLab is seeking to understand the well-being of students, and where to target resources to improve student flourishing, specifically at Sewanee: The University of The South. This report serves as an exploration of prior research on the topic of student flourishing, well-being, mental health, service utilization, and help-seeking behavior specifically in the college setting.Sylvia Gray, Nicole Noffsinger-Frazie
End the Syndemic Team Photos
No full textSyringe sharing continues to increase the spread of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, and other serious diseases, creating a syndemic and skyrocketing healthcare costs. Every county in Tennessee has been significantly affected by the syndemic, and by analyzing state-wide hospital discharge data, we will determine which counties would benefit most from new syringe exchange programs that assist patients with substance use disorders, slow the spread of disease, and reduce the overall healthcare cost. We will also create an interactive dashboard that will assist in lobbying for new syringe exchange programs in the Tennessee counties that need them the most.Camelia Simoiu, Matthew Rudd, Amber Coyn
Place conditioning for cocaine in male and female mice
Get PDFCocaine use and addiction are common and problematic. Within the past year, 1.3M people had a cocaine use disorder and 20,000 people died of cocaine overdose (NSDUH 2020). The present study had three goals. First, the same behavioral test can produce different results in different laboratories (Crabbe et al., 1999). We hoped to establish conditioned place preference (CPP) for cocaine in our laboratory mice, that was consistent with CPP reported by other laboratories. Second, response to many drugs, such as cocaine, can differ based on biological sex (Becker & Chartoff 2019). We wanted to identify sex differences in cocaine-induced locomotion and cocaine CPP. Third, females’ hormonal status can affect cocaine CPP and cocaine self-administration (Calipari et al., 2017, Johnson et al., 2019). We wanted to evaluate whether females’ estrus stage correlated with the strength of cocaine CPP. The CPP apparatus was composed of two chambers, one with white walls and grid flooring and the other with black walls and bar flooring. During the pre-conditioning session, mice passed freely between the chambers, to identify pre-existing chamber biases; the difference in time spent in each chamber was very small in both males and females. For the conditioning phase, mice were pseudorandomly assigned to receive cocaine (10mg/kg) or saline in each chamber, in an unbiased design (Cunningham et al., 2006). During each conditioning session, mice were injected with cocaine or saline before being placed in that chamber for 30min. Conditioned preference for the cocaine- and saline-paired chamber was then assessed. Both females and males showed an overall preference for the cocaine-paired chamber. The strength of this preference was consistent with existing literature. Control mice conditioned with saline in both chambers did not show an overall preference for either chamber, as expected. Cocaine also elevated locomotor activity during cocaine conditioning sessions; there were no sex differences in this cocaine-induced response. Estrus samples are currently being analyzed. Together, our findings revealed conditioned place preference for cocaine in both sexes, that is consistent with existing literature.Katharine Cammac
Types and Shadows: Mysticism in the Parochial Sermons of John Keble
No full textJohn Keble's parochial preaching represents the confluence of two major influences: a patristic approach to typology that Keble admired and sought to revive, and the use of imagery and symbol practiced by the Romantic poets. Both of these influences represent an early-nineteenth- century reaction against late eighteenth-century preaching styles and rationalist intellectual movements. But Keble's purpose was not to shape an intellectual movement, but rather to change Christian lives. The influences of Romantic poetry and patristic typology produce in Keble's parochial sermons an everyday sacramental mysticism. He led his congregation to frequently make connections between symbols, not just within scripture, but also in everyday life. In Keble's parochial sermons, these symbolic connections are presented to the congregation as sacramental encounters with God that have both mystical and moral implications. This thesis begins with a study of preaching in a particular historical context and argues that Keble's expansive use of typology that removes symbols from the realm of strict biblical interpretation to make them a means of an encounter with God is of use to modern preachers who wish to guide their congregations to see the God of scripture as an active presence in their lives.Benjamin Kin
The Effect of Marijuana Decriminalization/Legalization on Crime Rates
No full textMarijuana has become one of the most used taboo substances in the United States in the past few decades. Recent literature, as well as literature dating back to the early 2000s, have looked at how marijuana legalization and decriminalization can impact crime rates. However, there is little empirical evidence connecting marijuana legislation to crime rates. This paper uses state-level crime data from the FBI and the National Census Bureau to examine the effect of marijuana legalization and decriminalization on both violent and property crime rates. We use a fixed effects model in order to estimate the effect of marijuana legalization and decriminalization on states’ crime rates over time. We find that legalization has a positive effect on property crime over time in a state, and that legalization increases both violent and property crime rates across states.Katherine Theyson
Aaron Elro