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Unfreezing Human Service Organizations: Key Tensions Hindering their Mission and Values
No full textThe landscape of the nonprofit sector in the United States is vast, encompassing approximately 1.08 million public charitable organizations, with Human Service Organizations (HSOs) constituting 35.2 percent of this total, generating annual revenues exceeding 243 billion dollars (URBAN Institute, 2020b). However, these organizations grapple with significant tensions stemming from the inherent conflict between their social mission and the pragmatic realities of a neoliberal culture.This study investigates the organizational tensions faced by HSOs, arising from the complex interaction of internal and external groups, each with its own values, interests, and power. Drawing on Benson's seminal work (1977), which emphasizes the importance of understanding and analyzing these tensions, this study employs an in-depth case study methodology to explore the experiences of an exemplary HSO operating in South Florida. Through qualitative analysis of interviews, organizational documents, and meeting observations, 25 distinct organizational tensions are identified, revealing significant challenges that impact the organization's ability to fully achieve its mission and act according to its values. These tensions are categorized into seven categories: accountability, collaboration, learning, epistemology, participation, practice, and operation. To navigate these organizational tensions effectively, the author proposes the PIVOT framework, a heuristic tool grounded in the understanding of Power, Interests, Values, and Organizational Tensions. By employing this framework, HSOs can gain insights into the underlying dynamics shaping organizational tensions and develop strategies to address or navigate them proactively.</p
Glial KCNQ K+ Channels Control Neuronal Output by Regulating GABA Release from Glia in C. elegans
No full textKCNQ channels are voltage-gated K+ channels that are evolutionarily conserved across species. Among the five genes responsible for encoding KCNQ channels in humans, four are expressed in the nervous system. KCNQs display a low threshold of activation and non-inactivating current, features that make these channels good regulators of cellular excitability. In the nervous system, KCNQ channels are expressed in neurons, where they regulate neuronal excitability. Indeed, mutations in KCNQ channels have been associated with neuropsychiatric conditions such as Self-Limited Neonatal Epilepsy, Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children. However, KCNQ channels are also expressed in glial cells, and the function of KCNQ channels in glia remains unclear. Previous work from the Bianchi’s Lab has shown that the C. elegans KCNQ homolog channel kqt-2 is needed in amphid sheath glia for the nematode response to 1-octanol. Strikingly, at a cellular level loss of glial kqt-2 leads to reduction of amphid sheath glia activity but to increase in neuronal excitability. Here, I show that glial KCNQ channels are needed in glia to mediate GABA release from these cells upon stimulation with 1-octanol. Further, I show that KCNQs are needed in glia to maintain a membrane potential that is favorable for the activity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channel egl-19 and, therefore, for intracellular Ca2+ increase in glia. Finally, I found that pathogenic KCNQ mutations expressed in glia affect the resting membrane potential and post-stimulus repolarization in these cells, as well as GABA release, suggesting that glial KCNQ channels contribute to the pathogenesis of KCNQ associated disorders. These data suggest glial KCNQ channels are potential novel targets for the treatment of KCNQ-associated conditions.</p
Innate Immune Responses and Iron Dysregulation in Intracortical Neural Implants
No full textThere are over 5 million individuals in the U.S. alone with neurological disorders who could benefit from neuroprosthetics, such as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), to improve their mobility and ability to perform daily activities. Microelectrodes interface with the central nervous system (CNS) and play a crucial role in these technologies, enabling the recording of large assemblies of neurons to treat conditions like spinal cord injury, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. Intracortical microelectrode arrays (MEAs)—neural implants placed in the cortex that directly interact with brain tissue—are promising because they enable precise recording of neuronal signals, offering refined control of external devices to assist in restoring movement. However, intracortical MEAs have a limitation in that they create a robust, local foreign body response at the implantation site. This biological reaction includes inflammation, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier disruption, and tissue encapsulation around the electrode, which diminishes the device's long-term function. This study reveals unique pathways that are activated and disrupted by device implantation, contributing to a decline in MEA performance over time. When a MEA is implanted, disruption of the blood-brain barrier leads to neurovascular damage and the release of iron, as well as triggers the innate immune system as a first line of defense against the foreign body. This dissertation includes investigating the effects of iron dysregulation from neurovascular damage, identifying the activation of the inflammasome pathway in the immune response at the electrode-tissue interface, and exploring iron chelation as a pharmacological, neuroprotective strategy to mitigate the foreign body response. Findings of this research provide evidence of mechanisms previously undefined in the context of intracortical MEAs and offer valuable insights for enhancing the long-term performance and stability of neural implants for clinical applications.</p
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Caribbean Reef Fishes: Causes and Consequences of Ectoparasite Infection
No full textGnathiid isopods, often referred to as “ticks of the sea”, are the only specialist marine blood-feeding arthropod. Gnathiids externally attach to a wide range of host fishes to feed on blood and other vital fluids. Like ticks and mosquitoes, infestation by gnathiids may lead to behavioral changes, reduced fitness, mortality of hosts, and even the transmission of blood-borne pathogens. This dissertation focuses on the effects of blood-feeding on both the parasite and host fishes, and how the distribution of each affects trophic connectivity of host habitats. I first investigated the host exploitation patterns of Caribbean gnathiid isopods by sequencing blood meals of free-living gnathiids collected in light traps. Comparisons of fish assemblages to blood meal identification frequencies at four collection sites indicated that fishes within the families Haemulidae (grunts) and Lutjanidae (snappers) were exploited more frequently than expected based on their biomass, and Labrid parrotfishes were exploited less frequently than expected. Next, I conducted a study on how the diel migration of the most frequently exploited hosts of gnathiids, Haemulid grunts, contributes to the trophic connectivity between reef and seagrass habitats. My results show that for sites in both the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef, gnathiids are attached to diel-migratory fishes at the time they depart reef habitat. Finally, I investigated the impact of Elacatinus cleaner gobies on the spatiotemporal dynamics of mobile reef fishes. My results show that locations where cleaner gobies had been experimentally removed had significantly reduced biodiversity and visitation by transient fishes compared with controls and that this effect was apparent within only 10 days. The broad host range of gnathiid isopods, along with the biased exploitation of diel-migratory species, has important implications for the role gnathiid isopods play in Caribbean coral reef communities.</p
Posttraumatic Stress in Youth Following Unintentional Injury: The Interplay of Parent – Child Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity Over Time
No full textUnintentional injury is common in children under 18 years. After these distressing experiences, 10-30% of children will develop elevated symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) up to one year after the event. In addition, about 15% of parents whose children have suffered a traumatic injury develop elevated symptoms of PTSD surrounding the event. This study aimed to better understand parents’ own experience of PTSD and how it may be associated with the severity of children’s PTSD following a traumatic/accidental injury. Two samples from the Child Trauma Data Archives that examined youth and parents at multiple time points after an unintentional child injury were combined and used to investigate the bi-directional relationship between parent and child PTSD symptoms over time and the association between parents’ PTSD symptom recovery and their child’s trajectory of PTSD symptom recovery. Children (n=226, M age=10.27 years, 35.8% female) and their parents (n = 226, M age=40.38 years, 85.0% female) participated in the study. A cross-lagged path analysis using Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the bi-directional relationship between parent and child PTSD symptom severity at 2 weeks (T1), 4-6 weeks (T2), 3 months (T3) and 6 months (T4) post injury. Latent Growth Curve Mixture Modeling using Logistic Regression was used to investigate child PTSD symptoms trajectories and their predictors at the same time points. Results showed that parent PTSD symptom severity predicted child symptom severity at subsequent time points starting at 4-6 weeks post injury, but the converse was not true. Additionally, three trajectories of PTSD symptom recovery in children were found, and parent PTSD symptom scores at 4-6 weeks predicted membership in elevated trajectories but change in parent scores did not differentiate membership in chronic versus recovering trajectories. Understanding these processes will help mental health clinicians assist parents early on, providing a top-down approach to child PTSD treatment post-injury. </p
Kinematic Model of Flow and Nutrient Transport in North Biscayne Bay, Florida
No full textAbstract
A kinematic model of the flow dynamics and nutrient transport in a long and narrow lagoonal estuary with multiple canal discharges and tidal inlets is developed and demonstrated for the nutrient-impaired segments of North Biscayne Bay located in South Florida. The model is substantially less complex and costly than using coupled fine-scale hydrodynamic and fate and transport models. The proposed model formulation directly utilizes most of the relevant time-series measurements of flows and water quality, is able to resolve the flow dynamics between bay segments, is capable of predicting hourly average nutrient concentrations in the bay that are relatively close to point measurements taken at specific times, and can quantify the sensitivity of nutrient concentrations in the impaired segments of the bay to nutrient load reductions in the nutrient-laden canal discharges. The model is used to identify the source loadings that should be the targets of load reductions to remediate the impairments in the bay and to assess the effectiveness of using a monthly sampling protocol to measure water quality within the bay segments
Impact of Calibration Rainfall Limits on the Accuracy of Curve-Number Models
No full textAbstractMethods for estimating curve numbers from field measurements are investigated. It is shown that for the same calibration data set the curve number (CN) estimated using the median method will generally be greater than the CN estimated using the least-squares method. Errors in estimating runoff using curve numbers derived using different calibration methods will generally depend on both the range of rainfall-runoff measurements used in calibration and the rainfall amount for which runoff is to be predicted. It is shown that substantial errors can occur when predicting runoff from catchments with calibrated asymptotic curve numbers (CN∞) of around 40. For catchments with calibrated CN∞ of around 60, the potential for runoff error diminishes, but concerns remain particularly for rainfall amounts less than around 5 cm. For catchments with calibrated CN∞ of around 80, there is minimal potential for error regardless of the rainfall amount
Structural Health Monitoring and Machine Learning, Volume 12 Proceedings of the 43rd IMAC, a Conference and Exposition on Structural Dynamics 2025
No full textStructural health Monitoring &. Machine Learning, Volume 12: Proceedings of the 43rd IMAC, A Conference and Exposition on Structural Dynamics, 2025, the twelth volume of twelve from the Conference brings together contributions to this important area of research and engineering
Cardiac Genetic Testing Results In A Large Screening Cohort: Insights From The REIMAGINE-HF Investigators
No full textImproving Preoperative Education for Pituitary Surgery Patients: Creation of Digital Educational Material
No full textABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: For patients undergoing endoscopic pituitary surgery, the most common complications are epistaxis, diabetes insipidus, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and other general postoperative complications. Members of the department of neurological surgery identified gaps in patient education regarding postsurgical complication management after pituitary surgery. This quality improvement project aims to develop a comprehensive digital educational tool that empowers patients and caregivers with the knowledge to better recognize and manage common postoperative complications. METHODS: This project used a pretest-posttest design and was underpinned by the Ottawa Model of Research Use. A digital educational material (Adobe Spark) was created by an interprofessional clinical team and was distributed to 17 patients through QR code or text message who were scheduled to undergo pituitary surgery. RESULTS: The Adobe webpage was scanned and viewed a total of 161 times in 4 months. Of 12 patients who completed both pretest and posttest, mean knowledge scores increased from 3.17 out of 5 (1.03) to 4.25 (0.97) out of 5 (P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: The development of a webpage for pituitary surgery education is a low-cost and efficient means to better standardize and improve the quality of the presurgical education provided to patients and families