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SYMPHONY OF CELLS CREATIVE ENCOUNTER & THE PATH TO MOLECULAR SYSTEMATIC MUSIC
No full textAbstract James Brandon Lewis Symphony of Cells, Creative Encounter & The path to Molecular Systematic Music 2024-2025 Jonathan Fineberg, PhD, Director of the PhD in Creativity, Dissertation Chair Doctor of Philosophy This dissertation explores the role of “creative encounter”, as a series of transformative micro and macro experiences, the catalyst for shaping and building “Artistic DNA”, singular experiences that have contributed to the idiosyncratic nature of the artist/musician. This dissertation provides the reader with an insider perspective into the life of a musician and what a note of music is metaphorical, not only as a matter of frequency but the embodiment of the lived experiences of those musicians playing. Using myself as a case study, I use personal narrative, autoethnography to explore the creative encounters within my own life around three primary spheres of influence: music, spirituality, and science. The research methodology employed in this dissertation is autoethnography. Autoethnography is a qualitative research method that tells the story of the researcher using their experience in the field as validating data. Autoethnography is an approach to doing and representing social research that uses personal (“Auto”) experience to create representation (“Graphy”) of cultural (“Ethno”) experiences, social expectations, and shared beliefs, values, and practices. The result of this dissertation is not to prove but to use autoethnography to evoke sentiment and understanding in the reader
ADDITIVE CONSTRUCTION OF FIBROUS AND NON-FIBROUS HIGH-STRENGTH CONCRETE
No full textAdditive Construction (AC), a layer-by-layer manufacturing method, is transforming the construction industry by enabling efficient material use, faster build times, and complex geometries. This thesis focused on developing high-strength concrete mixes using locally sourced materials in New Jersey, suitable for AC. The study investigated the influence of (1) material formulation, including raw ingredients, admixtures, and fiber reinforcement and (2) hardware parameters such as extrusion rates, printing speed, and nozzle sizes. Seventeen mortar-level mixes were initially assessed for flowability, setting time, and heat of hydration. A promising mix was selected and further evaluated with and without steel fibers (1% by volume, 4.5 mm and 6 mm lengths). Key printability factors such as extrudability, open time, buildability, and slope stability were examined. Mechanical properties such as compressive strength, modulus of rupture, and fracture energy were tested using samples from printed elements. The optimized mix demonstrated an initial setting time of 60 minutes, static flow of 100 mm, dynamic flow of 114 mm, and passed all printability tests with continuous, smooth extrusion. Notably, it showed slope stability up to 45° without fibers and up to 65° with fibers. The mechanical properties of the extracted samples showed variation between compressive strength in two different loading directions. This developed mix demonstrated high performance for both commercial and military AC applications
HIERARCHY VIZ: A VISUAL ANALYTICS FRAMEWORK FOR VISUALIZING HIERARCHICAL DATA USING MACHINE LEARNING
No full textAutomated visualization systems aim to generate visualizations directly from raw data with minimal user inputs. However, while existing systems focus on data visualizations mainly using line charts and scatter plots to explore the data patterns, they struggle with hierarchical data representation where data relationship is essential. Hierarchical visualization, crucial for understanding multi-level relationships, typically requires users to manually define hierarchies and have expertise in visualization tools to create meaningful representations. This makes the process complex, time-consuming, and reliant on domain knowledge. To address this, we propose HierarchyViz, an automated system that detects multiple hierarchies in raw datasets and generates intuitive visualizations by default, while also allowing optional manual refinement for user-specific needs. The system utilizes Sentence Transformers to generate embeddings for column names, followed by hierarchical clustering to group semantically related attributes. A custom machine learning model predicts hierarchical relationships. HierarchyViz automatically visualizes these hierarchies using drill-up/drill-down bar charts and tree maps, while providing an interactive tree structure and a dynamic level pyramid visualization. By automating both hierarchy detection and visualization, HierarchyViz reduces the need for manual hierarchy definition and visualization expertise, making hierarchical data exploration more accessible and advancing automated data visualization
Case Report: Petersen Hernia, A Rare Cause of Bowel Ischemia
Full text linkWe report a case of a 52-year-old female with history Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) three years ago prior to presentation to the emergency department (ED) with sudden onset epigastric abdominal pain with radiation into the back of two hours duration. She was diagnosed with bowel ischemia due to internal hernia through a Petersen’s mesenteric defect. A Petersen’s mesenteric defect is one of the three possible internal hernia sites and occurs between the Roux limb mesentery and a defect in the transverse mesocolon.
Abdominal complaints are common in the emergency department with wide differential ranging from benign to emergent with need for immediate intervention. Thorough history and physical examination is an important component in managing and determining the acuity of patients presenting with abdominal pain as is demonstrated in this case in a patient with a history of RYGB without complications for 3 years following the operation
Incidence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Outcomes of Heterotropic Ossification Following Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty
Full text linkIntroduction: Heterotropic ossification (HO) is the pathologic formation of bone in soft tissue, often following trauma or surgery. HO is a common radiographic finding after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), yet its incidence, risk factors, and clinical significance remains under-explored. Despite the relatively high incidence, the etiology, risk factors, and functional outcomes are not understood.
Methods: This is a literature review to understand the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of HO following RSA. Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science were the databases used to review nine peer-reviewed sources. No restrictions were placed on publication date due to the sparsity of literature, but all articles were published in 2009 or later. The search term strategy used was: (osteophyte OR bone spur OR bony spur OR heterotropic ossification OR ossificans) AND ( arthroplasty, replacement, shoulder OR reverse shoulder replacement OR reverse shoulder arthroplasty OR “reverse total shoulder”).
Results: The incidence of HO ranges from 10% to 61.6%, with an average of 31.9% across all included studies. The earliest it has been identified is at three months postoperatively. Identified risk factors include male sex, revision surgery, iatrogenic injury. Prosthesis design and surgical approach may play a factor in development of HO.
Conclusion: HO is a frequent finding in RSA, typically non-progressive and asymptomatic. However, it may impact function in severe cases. Several factors play a role in the incidence and location of HO, such as the prosthesis design and implant placement
Addressing Pediatric Vaccine Hesitancy Through Medical Education: A Critical Review
Full text linkABSTRACT
Background: Immunization rates among pediatric patients are declining, largely due to growing vaccine hesitancy among parents and guardians. Addressing public health concerns related to vaccines is critical to preventing a significant reduction in vaccination coverage.
Objective: This critical review examines the effectiveness of training physicians in communication strategies, such as motivational interviewing, on improving vaccine acceptance.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed using MeSH terms “Training AND (Motivational Interviewing OR Online Systems) AND Vaccination Hesitancy NOT COVID-19.” The search yielded 26 results, from which 7 studies met the inclusion criteria for full-text review, focusing on training interventions aimed at addressing vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers.
Results: The studies reviewed consistently reported that training programs focusing on motivational interviewing significantly improve physicians\u27 ability to communicate effectively with vaccine-hesitant parents. Providers trained in MI showed increased confidence, better patient engagement, and greater proficiency in addressing concerns, which contributed to higher vaccine acceptance rates among parents. Furthermore, the review identified that longer, repeated training sessions had a more sustained impact on providers\u27 skill retention and application.
Conclusion: Training healthcare providers in motivational interviewing and tailored communication strategies appears to be a valuable approach for addressing vaccine hesitancy. By equipping physicians with the necessary skills and confidence, these programs may help bridge the gap between parental concerns and scientific evidence, ultimately improving immunization rates among pediatric populations. Future research should focus on standardizing training formats and evaluating long-term outcomes to enhance the applicability and effectiveness of such interventions
METHOD DEVELOPMENT FOR THE ANALYSIS OF DRUGS OF ABUSE USING SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION AND HIGH PRESSURE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY
Full text linkThe accurate detection and quantification of drugs of abuse and their metabolites for HPLC analysis is key in the medical, forensic, and environmental sectors. Additionally, the detection of compounds related to substance use disorders in clinical settings can play a crucial role in effective treatment decisions by healthcare practitioners. The ability to detect these compounds at trace levels in any given sample matrix is a known challenge. Coupling a reliable sample preparation method to HPLC analysis for matrix interference reduction and the preconcentration of species for enhanced detection limits may provide a preferred solution to the analysis of drugs of abuse. This study is focused on developing a solid phase extraction method utilizing a polymeric strong cation exchange sorbent coupled with a LC-UV method for the analysis of a 16-compound drugs of abuse panel. Ten-fold recoveries for the 16 compounds ranged from 82.8%-116.9%, with 14 of the 16 compounds falling within the standard recovery range of 90%-110%. This sample preparation strategy and HPLC method was then applied to samples analyzed using a compact capillary LC instrument, with a focus on achieving detection limits below the standard clinical screening thresholds
Enabling Localized Execution Of Smart Contracts Via Distributed Event Beacons
Full text linkModern smart contracts save their state transitions on a distributed ledger, such as blockchain [3, 4] or a particularly configured cloud [1]. These approaches necessitate storage and synchronization of large amounts of distributed data, leading to scalability deficiencies in decentralized permissionless smart contract platforms. In this poster, we introduce a novel concept of local execution of smart contracts which only required synchronizing the transaction data between the members of the private channel, without the need to storing state transitions on the distributed storage. To achieve this, we design a distributed storage-free decentralized beacon network that allows to perform provenance signatures of the state transitions for all members of the channel
Impact of Language Barriers on Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Recognition and Response
Full text linkOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) causes nearly 350,000 deaths annually in the U.S., with survival largely depending on the timely recognition of cardiac arrest and the initiation of bystander CPR by emergency dispatchers. However, English-centric dispatch systems create barriers for individuals with limited English proficiency, potentially delaying critical responses. This study aims to synthesize research on how language differences impact OHCA recognition and CPR initiation in emergency dispatch settings. We hypothesize that language barriers cause significant delays.
PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were used to identify relevant studies, using search terms like language barriers, cardiac arrest, and CPR. Inclusion criteria covered studies published from January 2011 to October 2024 that reported average times for OHCA recognition and CPR initiation in limited English proficient (LEP) and English proficient (EP) cases.
The review synthesized three studies, totaling 4,519 calls – 3.6% from LEP callers and 96.4% from EP callers. Significant delays in OHCA recognition and CPR initiation within the LEP group were found, with delays ranging from 17.7 to 73.2 seconds for recognition and 44 to 116.5 seconds for CPR initiation. One study found that 16.5% of EP cases survived to hospital discharge compared to 8.8% of LEP cases.
This review demonstrates how LEP delays OHCA recognition and bystander CPR initiation during emergency dispatch. Further research with larger LEP sample sizes is needed to establish stronger correlations. As linguistic diversity continues to grow, EMS dispatch systems must be reassessed to reduce disparities
The Fraught Path to Residency for International Medical Graduates
Full text linkBackground:
International medical school graduates (IMGs) are a vital part of the physician workforce in the United States helping to combat the ongoing physician shortage. The Association of American Medical Colleges reported that 42.3% of hospitalists were IMGs, physicians that also comprise a significant part of primary care physicians in rural underserved areas. Students in a gray area of immigration statuses such as those in DACA or those that have lived in the US for years waiting to attain citizenship are automatically considered “international students” and have typically received less residency interviews, and have had a harder time matching into their preferred specialties.
Methods: A literature review was conducted on PubMed, Match A Resident, myVisajobs, InfoLearners, Residency Programs List, Guide to U.S. Immigration for Physicians and Scientists, and IMGPrep for the current data regarding residency matches within the United States.
Results: Many residency programs will not give first preference to IMGs as spots for residencies are limited within the match cycle. An average residency program is a minimum of 3 years, and depending on visa subtype international residents typically have to re-apply or extend their visas, a process that takes time, and money as well as a willing residency to host and assist with the application.
Conclusion: It would be worthwhile to advocate for policy change that would increase the total number of residency spots available for US and international Medical school graduates. This would increase opportunities for both parties while reducing competition among students applying for residencies