University at Albany, State University of New York
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Hospital Surge Capacity in Co-occurring Mass Casualty Incidents
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought sweeping disruption and changes across healthcare systems. Examining how these changes have impacted surge capacity and capabilities is necessary to plan for future co-occurring surge-creating events in hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs). While there is extensive research on patient surge management, no study has looked at how the presence of a prolonged surge would impact the healthcare system’s ability to handle a concurrent acute patient surge. This study seeks to demonstrate the need for comprehensive planning for co-occurring patient surges in New York State using hospital capacity data from Health and Human Services (HHS) in 18 patient surge-creating events in rural and urban areas. The data was insufficient to show differences in ICU capabilities between treating patients from one incident versus treating patients from two independent patient surges. However, the hospital data showed high levels of hospital overcrowding across the state both during COVID-19 patient surges and during baseline periods
Panel: Sustainable Cyber Risk Management
No full textAn ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure” - Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). In the present-day scenario of U.S. cybersecurity, one may ask if Benjamin Franklin’s words can provide guidance and confidence on how decision makers and policy makers of this country treat loss prevention and loss reduction (i.e. cure) from cybersecurity disruptions. Unfortunately, there is still no generally accepted way to determine how much resources to invest in the multitudes of cybersecurity technologie
Building Engaged Audiences: The Influence of Multimedia-Inclusive Posts on Online Engagement Breadth and Depth for Arts and Culture Nonprofit Organizations
Get PDFIn recent years, broad access to digital communication tools provided by the “tech boom” has forced arts and culture nonprofit organizations (ACNPO) to transition to social media and mobile applications to engage audiences. While various approaches focus on building breadth (i.e. recirculation of content) and depth (i.e. replies) of engagement, ACNPO use multimedia to spur discussion and dissemination of their mission. Dependent on individual donors who generally give in small amounts, ACNPO are reliant on effective and visual social media campaigns to drive virality and broaden marketing appeal. Yet questions remain whether the presence of multimedia-inclusive posts (MIP) generates broader and deeper engagement, with conflicting theories pointing to both increased and decreased engagement. This study leverages quantitative approaches and the historical Twitter timelines of the top 20 ANCPOs (based on visitation records) in North America to address three key questions. First, do MIP increase engagement breadth, measured by the number of likes and retweets a single post receives? Second, do MIP increase engagement depth, measured by the number of replies generated? Finally, does the presence of MIP simultaneously influence both breadth and depth of engagement, measured by the number of quote tweets? The proposed research also aims to identify how the use of MIP over time changes as ACNPO use MIP more frequently and MIP become more commonplace in the broader social media ecosystem.
The findings of this research will present both practical and academic significance. First, there is no known research examining the usage of MIP by ACNPO to build engagement with audiences on Twitter. Therefore, this dissertation will add to the growing literature around social media engagement in general and the use of social media by ACNPO more specifically. Second, effective social media campaigns allow ACNPO to spread awareness about their services to a global audience without the financial burden of traditional means such as printed products. By highlighting the dynamic relationships between MIP and different types of engagement, the results of this dissertation can also inform new social media engagement strategies by ACNPO to increase breadth and depth of future engagement, and hopefully, generate a larger audience for their services
The Effects Of The Clinically Relevant Synthetic Progestin, 17-Α-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate, On Neural Development And Behavior.
Get PDFThe synthetic progestin, 17-α -hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) has beencommonly prescribed during gestation to reduce preterm delivery in individuals at risk (Meis et al., 2003). In singleton pregnancies, 17-OHPC treatment begins during the second trimester, around gestational weeks 16-20, and continues until the end of the third trimester, around week 37 (Berghella, 2012). Although the fetus is not directly administered 17-OHPC, previous research demonstrated that 17-OHPC was transferred from the maternal unit to the fetal unit of the placenta in situ, was detectable in maternal and fetal blood up to 44 days following the last injection (Caritis et al., 2012; Hemauer et al., 2008), and was detectable in vivo within cord plasma of neonates up to 44 days after the termination of treatment (Caritis et al., 2012). This suggests that the fetus is exposed to 17-OHPC during a period of critical development. Yet, information regarding the long-term effects of 17-OHPC on neural and behavioral development in children is lacking. This dissertation investigated the impact of developmental exposure to 17-OHPC on rodent neural and behavioral development throughout the lifespan. The effects of this clinically relevant synthetic progestin on neural development offer insights into the underlying mechanisms by which it may exert its effects, including the alteration of nuclear progesterone receptor (PR) expression in the neonatal somatosensory cortex and dentate gyrus. Additionally, the study explored the sensitivity of limbic targets to 17-OHPC-induced perturbations, specifically in dopaminergic and serotonergic innervation within the Nucleus Accumbens shell and hippocampus during adolescent males. Notably, microglia activational phenotype in the hippocampus showed sensitivity to developmental 17-OHPC exposure, generating the intriguing hypothesis that irregular microglia activational phenotype may be a potential mechanism contributing to disrupted serotonergic circuitry in hippocampus in adolescent male rats. Furthermore, the research indicated potential dysfunction within the dopaminergic system, particularly involving dopamine 2 receptors and/or dopamine 2 autoreceptors. This dissertation significantly expands the current literature by investigating the behavioral effects of 17-OHPC. The study examined sensorimotor behaviors, revealing a notable impact of developmental 17-OHPC exposure on behaviors indicative of cortical development in neonates. For example, 17-OHPC disrupted the developmental profile of numerous sensorimotor-dependent behaviors, including hindlimb and forelimb grasping, surface right, and cliff aversion. Additionally, it explored the influence on mesocorticolimbic mood-related behaviors across neonatal and adolescent stages, highlighting a pronounced effect in males. Specifically, developmental 17-OHPC exposure increased time spent in the periphery of the area, a well-established indicator of anxiety-like behavior, in male neonates and decreased latency to first bout of immobility in the Forced Swim Test, suggestive of a depressive-like phenotype, in adolescent males. Finally, the research delved into fundamental aspects of decision-making in adult rats, specifically addressing the phenomenon of omissions. Results from delay discounting testing show a consistent increase in omissions (i.e. failure to respond) at the longest delays (i.e. when choice becomes most difficult) in 17-OHPC exposed adult rats. This effect on omissions was in the absence of impairment in other aspects of v performance. Further, our data indicate that administration of the dopamine transporter inhibitor, Methylphenidate, and dopamine 2 receptor antagonist, Eticlopride, altered omissions in control rats. These effects were significantly attenuated in 17-OHPC exposed rats, suggesting a dopaminergic mechanism for omissions without other cognitive deficits in rats. Collectively, these results suggest that 17-OHPC exposure has differential effects in male and female rats across the lifespan. Findings from the present dissertation add to the growing body of research that demonstrates the potential effect of synthetic progestin exposure on neural and behavioral development in rodents. In conclusion, this dissertation provides insights into the potential risks and benefits of exogenous hormone use during critical periods of human fetal neural development. It highlights the need for further investigation into the impact of 17-OHPC on cognitive, mood-related, and sensorimotor behavior in exposed children, suggesting potential sex-specific effects. Finally, the findings from this dissertation emphasize the critical necessity for caution in utilizing exogenous hormones in development, highlighting the imperative of preventing unintended consequences in children
Algerian Poetry Without Borders: Jean Sénac, Assia Djebar & Mohammed Dib In Translation
No full textAlgerian Poetry without Borders: Jean Sénac, Assia Djebar & Mohammed Dib in Translation is a hybrid project that combines literary translation with (post)colonial and translation theories to illuminate the importance of the poetry of three major 20th century Algerian writers: pied-noir poet Jean Sénac (1926-1973), Amazigh poet Assia Djebar (1936-2015), and Arabic poet Mohammed Dib (1920-2003). Algerian Poetry without Borders includes selections from three previously untranslated poetry collections—one from each poet discussed—presenting them alongside critical essays that trace each writer’s individual contributions to (post)colonial Maghrebian poetry and (post)colonial thinking. This dissertation examines the ways in which embodied language and embodied poetry might be better able to translate individual, disparate (post)colonial experiences into expression. Algerian Poetry without Borders traces the three poets’ liberatory poetics focusing on their disruption and reclamation of the French colonial language. I argue that the Algerian (post)colonial condition of identity defined by difference can serve as a lens through which others might understand their own positions in a (post)colonial, globalized world. Moreover, I argue that this condition represents a new way to approach literary translation which, when rooted in the celebration of difference and of its own necessary failure, may also perform in an anticolonial liberatory fashion
Radio Frequency Interference (Rfi) Detection In Microwave Radiometry Using Multi-Dimensional Data Mining Techniques
Get PDFMeasurements of natural electromagnetic radiation from Earth using microwave radiometers provide deep insight into our planet and its environmental conditions. These insights are essential for quantifying, understanding, and predicting various geophysical processes, such as climate patterns, water cycles, carbon cycles, and more. These passive measurements are diverse and cover a wide range of frequencies, depending on the sensitivity of microwave radiation to changes in important geophysical parameters. However, it is important to note that the microwave spectrum is also utilized by active services, such as wireless communication networks and radars. As a result, Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) in the measurements of Earth-observing radiometers has been reported. With the increasing demand for frequency spectrum by active services, the presence of RFI in these measurements is expected to increase. RFI contamination, if not properly detected and removed, may result in erroneous retrieval of critical geophysical parameters in passive remote sensing missions. To address this challenge, several detection and mitigation algorithms have been proposed and implemented. However, their success has been limited, particularly in cases of weak or noise-like interference
The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Postsecondary Transition For Students With Disabilities: Provider Perspectives
Get PDFTransition planning is an essential component of special education for students transitioning from high school to the adult world. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the ways in which transition education is implemented and has been a catalyst for change and potential improvement in transition education practices. Research is just beginning to emerge regarding the ways in which education has changed as a result of the pandemic. Teachers and transition coordinators are key stakeholders in the transition process and serve as a link between the school and the students and their families. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with both special education teachers and transition coordinators from high schools in upstate New York. Interview questions addressed various aspects of transition planning and how this process has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were analyzed using the process of thematic analysis. Findings indicate that pandemic-related changes made it difficult to implement transition plans and made the role of the transition education provider more challenging. The Great Resignation had a profound influence on the transition process, resulting in staffing issues and changes in the employment landscape that impacted students transitioning out of high school. Increased use of technology played a major role, presenting both initial challenges and ongoing benefits for transition education. The impact of the pandemic on students and families was also a salient theme that played a role in transition planning and education. Study findings include various implications for the future of transition education
Social Security Disability Applications: Seasonality, Cross-Sectional Correlations, And The Covid-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThis dissertation investigates three important topics related to the time pattern and the inter-state heterogeneity of the application volumes of the two public disability programs run by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) — Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)