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From Paywalls to Practice: Accessing and Using Evidence for Community Impact
Get PDFLeaders and practitioners have a responsibility to utilize reputable, up-to-date research to inform their work in communities. However, peer-reviewed literature is often hidden behind paywalls, with an average cost of 50 per article. An increase in predatory publishing has also made it difficult for readers to decipher reliable articles from those that are of poor quality. Additionally, even when openly accessible to readers, peer-reviewed articles are generally written by academic researchers for other academic researchers, resulting in articles that are too dense both in length and readability. This workshop will equip participants with practical strategies for locating and identifying quality, open-access research, as well as knowledge and skills to dissect, interpret, and apply findings in their community contexts.
Led by academic librarians and researchers, this interactive session will identify free reputable sites with quality research at no cost to readers, including university repositories, government databases, and open-access journals. The presenters will demonstrate how to conduct an effective search using keywords, related terms, Boolean operators, and truncation symbols, depending on the search engine or site used. Participants will learn how to initially evaluate the relevance and quality of articles before investing time in fully reviewing them. Finally, the session will introduce efficient techniques for dissecting and digesting articles to understand key findings, implications, and limitations
The Effects of National Elite Signaling on Ranked Choice Voting in Utah
Get PDFRanked-Choice Voting (RCV) is a voting method used in few cities in the United States. There has recently been an increase in interest in adoption of the voting method in other cities using pilot programs, much like the one introduced in Utah. Ranked-Choice Voting has become a topic of contention with strong disapproval coming from opponents of the voting system. The questions are why there is disdain for Ranked-Choice Voting, and why such disdain seems to exist more heavily in Republican camps. Public opinion polling from “likely and confirmed Utah voters” in Salt Lake, Utah, and Grand Counties, conducted by Y2 Analytics yields results that illustrate a higher level of disapproval for Ranked-Choice Voting amongst Republicans than Democrats and independents. One of the main reasons why Republicans have a higher level of disapproval for Ranked-Choice Voting is national elite signaling. This paper will focus on how elite signaling amongst Republican national elites influences the opinion of Ranked-Choice Voting. Various studies exist regarding the pros and cons of RCV, but there is an absence of extensive literature about political ideologies and national elite signaling and how opinions on voting systems are affected by it. Using demographics such as age, education, race, and political ideology and comparing them to favorability ratings of plurality and RCV voting systems will demonstrate the effects that the various demographics have on opinions regarding voting systems. Beyond this, an examination of Republican national elite rhetoric regarding RCV will help draw conclusions on how these opinions are carried over into individual opinions regarding the voting system, even when these opinions exist contrary to what may be of the most benefit to the political party
Two Unique Cases of Ponderosa Pine Needle-Induced Abortions
Get PDFPonderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) needles can induce abortions in cows when consumed during the last trimester of pregnancy. Traditionally pine needle-induced abortions occur in areas where cattle are forced into a stand of ponderosa pine trees to seek shelter and feed during a winter storm that is either very cold, has heavy snow or high winds. However, here we report two incidences of pine needle-induced abortions in cattle that were unique. In one case, there was no weather-related event that forced the cattle into the stand of pine trees, rather the cattle went into the pine trees seeking the new growth of grasses near the pine trees. In the second incident, the abortions occurred in an area with no previous history of pine needle-induced abortions, which may be due to the low concentration of abortifacient compounds in the needles from that area. However, in both cases, the resultant abortions, as well as the effects on the cows and calves, were consistent with pine needle-induced abortions. All of the cattle that aborted had retained placentas and all of the calves that were tested had high concentrations of tetrahydroagathic acid, a metabolite of isocupressic acid, the abortifacient compound in ponderosa pine needles. These two cases highlight the fact that when cows are allowed to graze in areas with ponderosa pine needles during the last trimester of gestation there is always a risk for the cattle to consume enough pine needles for abortions to occur
Education Policy Committee Minutes January 02, 2025
Get PDFApproval of Minutes Subcommittee Reports Other Business Adjourn: 3:20p
Use of Electrical Household Appliances and Risk of all Types of Tumours: A Case-Control Study
Get PDFIntroduction: The use of electrical appliances using extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) has increased in the past few years. These ELF MF are reported to be linked to several adverse health effects. However, only a couple of studies have been conducted on the association between risk of tumours and use of electronic devices using low frequency (LF) EMF. Methods: We studied the use of common household electrical appliances and suspected risk of tumours in a multi-hospital-based case-control study. In total, 316 patients were included in the final analysis. Results: The study results showed a below unity risk for most of the devices. A slight increased risk of tumour was observed for computer screen use OR: 1.13 (95% CI: 0.43–3.02) and use of microwave oven OR: 1.21 (95% CI: 0.36–4.04). We also had chance to investigate ELF MFs exposure association with tumour. Where we observed elevated odd ratios in individuals living near electricity transformer stations, with a statistically significant risk OR: 2.16 (95% CI: 1.30–3.59). However, the risk was below unity (OR: 0.98) in individuals residing close to powerlines. Conclusion: The current study serves as a pilot study of primary data and will be helpful in future epidemiological research studies on the topic in the region
AleCI: An R Package For Non-Parametric Confidence Intervals On Accumulated Local Effects Plots
Get PDFMachine learning models can take a collection of inputs and craft an output. The mathematical formulas these models use to calculate their outputs easily become too complex or time consuming for a human to analyze. Collectively, we refer to these as black box models. Accumulated local effects plots (ALE) are a method for adding interpretability and visibility into the effects that individual variables contribute to the predictions made by black box models. The method designed by D.W. Apley calculates equally spaced point estimates of the response value to construct a graph across the range of the variable of interest. AleCI improves Apley’s original implementation by adding a confidence interval (CI) around each prediction showing the range where the true value of this estimator should exist. AleCI uses bagged models to bootstrap the value at each point to create a nonparametric confidence interval (default) or an interval using a user provided function. Furthermore, AleCI updates the graphing capabilities of the original by implementing ggplot2 as the default mechanism
Avian Detection Data and Environmental Covariates for Utah, USA Over the Years 2017-2021
Get PDFIntegrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) detection data for the state of Utah, USA, and LANDFIRE uncharacteristic exotic Departure Score data over Utah during our study period, as well as additional environmental covariates used to make the model more ecologically accurate. Environmental covariates include average May precipitation, average June temperature, distance to the nearest road, percent canopy cover, and the percent of three habitat types as defined by LANDFIRE; open tree canopy, herbaceous, and shrubland
Designing and Modeling an Exoskeleton Mobility Device for Individuals with Paraplegia
Get PDFThe objective of this project is to design and develop a lightweight mobility exoskeleton for individuals with paraplegia that enables transportation of the user in a standing position, supports the user during the sitting to standing transition, and can be loaded by the user into a vehicle. A device like this has the potential to mitigate many negative health impacts of seated mobility devices, reduce social barriers, increase job opportunities for the user, and improve independence, while providing cost savings for the users and the healthcare system.
The system consists of a 3-linkage inverted pendulum with motors at the knee and hip joints on top of a two-wheel base. The design, development, and testing of two prototypes are outlined. One was developed as a precursor to this work, and the second is the focus of this work.
The system dynamic model is developed using the Lagrange method with system parameters as a function of the user’s height and weight, allowing it to be easily customized for a wide variety of individuals. Analysis of the system is then performed, followed by the development of a LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) control for the wheel and joint torque inputs to stabilize the system at an equilibrium point
Staying Safe When Taking Prescription Opioids
Get PDFPrescription opioids, such as oxycodone, morphine, codeine, and hydrocodone, are often used for short-term pain management, and it is important to know how to keep yourself safe when taking opioids prescribed by a doctor. This fact sheet reviews what opioids are, how they work in the body, and how people become dependent on or overdose on opioids. It also offers how to limit your risk of dependence and suggests alternative pain management options