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A Memoir of My Reading
Get PDFSurveying nearly seven decades of habitual and obsessive reading, I consider how my character and psychology used reading to shape philosophical questions that move me into forms in which I could pursue them by reading. This became both the method and the substance of my philosophical work. It preserved some core emotional issues but also gave me the way to integrate them into scholarship and into my life
Spectroscopic End Point Detection With an Electron Beam Evaporator
Get PDFSpectroscopic end point detection is a common tool used for measuring slope changes in wavelength intensity. Using algorithms able to apply this concept, coatings will be able to be dynamically measured in real time and stopped at the appropriate level to ensure process uniformity. It is currently applied to reductive processes such as etching, where the surface will start to be eaten away, creating a plasma. When the entire amount of a material on a substrate has been eaten away, the plasma will change color as it is beginning to etch a different material. Using a spectrometer, this point where the plasma changes color can be found, and the process stopped. This paper explores an analysis of its application in additive coating processes, specifically with an Electron Beam Evaporator (E-beam). Herein, an analysis of the subsystems required for an E-Beam to operate successfully are provided as well as discussions for how the concept of spectroscopic end point detection can be added to a functioning E-beam or any coating system
Supporting Self-managed Abortion Care in “practice not premise”: Provider Perspectives, Roles, and Referral Pathways in India
Get PDFObjective: Describe provider perspectives and roles in self-managed abortion (SMA) in India and identify referral pathways to facility- and self-managed abortion care.
Methods: We conducted a qualitative study of 33 semi-structured interviews with a range of providers (medical, community health, and pharmacy) in India. We conducted a thematic analysis and identified referral pathways including the type of provider, the abortion care modality (in-facility or SMA), and the reason.
Results: Referrals to facility-managed abortion care were common. Providers\u27 perception of SMA safety coupled with liability concerns resulted in discouraging clients from seeking SMA. Nonetheless, participants acknowledged three areas where providers played a role in SMA: providing information, dispensing medication, and providing support. SMA referrals pathways occurred bidirectionally between pharmacy workers and local providers. Some community health workers provided referrals to pharmacies, but more often only provided information and support.
Conclusion: Despite provider concerns, support and referrals for SMA do occur in India. Understanding the dynamics of provider perspectives, roles, and referral pathways can inform improvements to comprehensive reproductive health policies and programs in order to promote client-centered abortion care—including SMA—and address provider concerns. There is a need for synergies between the formal health sector and SMA support networks.
Keywords: Abortion, self-managed abortion, pharmacy, referrals, quality of car
A Window of Opportunity: Describing Participants Engaged in a Comprehensive Perinatal Care Model to Treat Substance Use Disorder During Pregnancy
Get PDFIn 2019, 12% of pregnant persons were estimated to use psychoactive substances, the highest rate in US history. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic, relapsing condition, and while pregnancy presents a unique opportunity for SUD intervention, research on pregnant and postpartum SUD patient experiences is vital for informing perinatal systems of care. The purpose of this presentation is to describe a sample from SUN, a comprehensive perinatal care program for pregnant persons with SUD in North Carolina.
Methods
We abstracted medical records (n=29), surveyed participants (n=29), and conducted two focus groups (n=7). Medical records provided participant demographics; medical, social, and legal history; care engagement; and birth outcomes. The focus groups and surveys captured patient experiences in SUN and barriers/facilitators to program engagement. Descriptive statistics (counts, percentages) were summarized for quantitative data. We used a thematic approach with inductive and deductive coding to analyze focus group and open-ended survey questions data.
Findings
Of the 29 participants, 96% were white, 100% reported opioid use at program entry, 66% were polysubstance users, and 21% were employed full or part time. Transportation and time spent at visits were reported as barriers to treatment; however, 83% said that SUN facilitated transportation for visits. Of singleton births, 87% were born at term (\u3e37 weeks); All participants who entered the program in their first trimester had term births. Participants emphasized trust and unwavering support from providers as important to recovery, that parenting support was effective, and that pregnancy/parenting was the most motivating factor for pursuing recovery
Leo Strauss on Machiavelli: Athens Vs. Jerusalem or Ontological Assumptions About Human Nature and Power
Get PDFIn this article we focus on the true nature of a disparity asserted in Leo Strauss\u27s discussion of Machiavelli to amount to a virtue battle of sorts between Athens and Jerusalem. To convey this conflict Strauss is drawing both on his once Talmudic scholarship and his expertise in the history of political philosophy. We explore the stunning distortions, both theological and philosophical, in Strauss\u27s discussion that appears aimed to support a conservative position on leadership, which calls for the magnanimous few to exercise power over the many (the lowborn, the poor and the vulgar). Not only does Strauss distort the interpretation of the Torah with respect to Isaiah, but he also does the same for the whole sequence of important figures in the history of philosophy: Kant, Marx, Spinoza, the Sophists, and Socrates. In the end we put in question whether there really is a meaningful contrast to be drawn between Athens and Jerusalem, and we suggest that the entire exercise by Strauss in his essay on Machiavelli is mostly an opportunity to espouse some extremist, or hard line Nietzschean views
Policy Diffusion Among Domestic Political Parties in Multiparty Systems: An Analysis of Election Manifestos of Indian Political Parties
Get PDFDo political parties adopt each others’ ideas? This research argues that parties are more likely to employ party platforms from electorally successful domestic parties in a multiparty system while seeking public office. Focusing on religious issues as the issue of measurement, I studied 23 election manifestos of 7 political parties that opposed India’s two biggest and historical parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC), in the state and national elections during the period of 2004 to 2022. I have analyzed the changes made in the manifesto of these parties to gain insight into the influence these parties have on each other. I find that parties tend to drop minority welfare policies, especially concerning Muslims, when they run against the BJP, and parties tend to highlight minority welfare policies when they run against INC. Further, I find that parties tend to mention more religious topics while running against the BJ
Updated Occupancy and Abundance for Northwestern Pond Turtle and Western Painted Turtle in the Lower and Middle Willamette Watersheds
No full textRegional changes in land use and climate are anticipated to have profound effects on the ranges of native freshwater turtles in NW Oregon, so adequate baseline surveys are critical. The Lower and Middle Willamette watersheds are high priority for maintaining the current occupancy and abundance of native turtles as this region represents the only areas where the northern extent of the NW Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) range and western extent of the Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) range intersect. Both of Oregon’s two native freshwater turtle species are listed as “sensitive-critical” by the State of Oregon and one, A. marmorata, has been petitioned for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. To date, information on the distribution of native freshwater turtles in Oregon has been gathered largely opportunistically through varied surveys ranging from ones at sites of high conservation value to those that are the focus of habitat modeling to predict occupancy based on key habitat variables. To address this deficiency, basking surveys were conducted at 334 aquatic sites throughout 7 counties in NW Oregon from 2021 through 2023 to provide that baseline, as well as a better understanding of the distribution of the widespread exotic turtle, the Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). Preliminary comparison to historical survey data was performed to identify changes in distribution both within and outside major urban areas. A current rate of occupancy was also developed for NW Oregon. Further study will focus on identifying key habitat variables that allow for sustainably reproducing populations
Understanding Variation in Provider Referral Rates to Early Intervention for Children with Developmental Delays
Get PDFBackground:
Early detection and treatment of developmental disabilities (DD), including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), improves language, IQ, and adaptive outcomes. Guidelines recommend immediate referral to Early Intervention (public developmental therapy services) upon positive ASD/DD screening in infant/toddler well child checks. However, children screening positive for ASD/DD are not always referred for Early Intervention services. This project aimed to understand why pediatricians do and do not refer children with positive DD/ASD screens to early intervention.
Methods:
We conducted qualitative interviews with pediatricians who participated in a randomized trial investigating family navigation for children with autism risk. We determined pediatrician referral rates for positive ASD or DD screening using previously-collected data, then selected pediatricians with a range of referral rates for videoconference interviews. Interview guide questions probed the referral decision-making process; a Chart Stimulated Recall exercise explored clinical reasoning and management of 2 patient cases with positive screens. A coding framework was created by 3 team members. Transcripts were coded by 2 team members using a phenomenological approach; the coding framework was improved as themes emerged. Coding discrepancies were discussed by 2-3 team members and resolved by consensus.
Results:
15 pediatricians participated from 7 Oregon clinics. Analysis of interviews is ongoing. Initial results indicate 3 major themes interact to influence referral decisions: screening test results, provider’s clinical observations, and level of parental concern. Future analysis will expand these themes and evaluate the relationship between a provider’s referral rate and their decision-making process.
Conclusion:
Early Intervention referral decision making is complex. Provider perspectives may provide opportunity for targeted intervention
Impact of Heavy Metals Exposure on Lung Health in Peruvian Children: Preliminary results of a Cross-Sectional Study
No full textStudies in adult populations show that chronic environmental exposure to heavy metals (HM) may induce oxidative stress and impaired immune response which can impair lung function. In Ecuador, decades of continuous artisanal and small-scale gold mining activities have resulted in HM contamination of the Puyango-Tumbes River, the main freshwater source for downstream communities living in Tumbes, Peru. Children, being in a critical stage of development and exhibiting different behavioral patterns than adults, may be particularly vulnerable to these exposures. However, research on the health effects of HM exposure in children within community settings remains limited.
We are conducting a cross-sectional study including Peruvian children aged 4-17 residing in the HM-polluted Puyango-Tumbes River watershed, and the Zarumilla region, which has no known HM exposure. Using purposeful sampling, we enrolled 400 participants and collected data on demographic and behavioral factors, respiratory symptoms, lung function, anemia prevalence, and gastrointestinal symptoms. We took hair samples and measured HM levels using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our aim is to assess the association between HM exposure and adverse health outcomes, with a focus on lung function and respiratory symptoms.
Our study includes 400 children (mean age 10.3, SD 3.9), 53% are female, and 255 (64%) live in the polluted area. Eighty-four percent drink water from potentially polluted sources and 27% consume fish from the contaminated river. Hair samples from 299 children show elevated levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and zinc. Anemia prevalence is 11.5%. Respiratory symptoms are reported by 34% of children, with wheezing (15%) and nocturnal cough (28%) being the most frequent. Spirometry showed restrictive patterns in 22% of participants and obstructive patterns in 3%. Further analysis will be conducted to measure the association between these outcomes and HM exposure
Exploring the Layers of Science and Communities Impacted by Climate Change through the Lens of Tree Health
Get PDFCommunities of people, places, and organisms can often be defined by common characteristics and the sharing of interests. At Hoyt Arboretum Friends (HAF), different layers of communities are connecting to better understand climate change and its impact on a native tree species, the western redcedar.
In the fall of 2023, volunteers of HAF expanded their community science reach into the greater Portland area. In partnership with Western Redcedar Dieback project, HAF volunteers observed 100 individual trees to determine if a connection exists between western redcedar health and average annual temperature. To do so, western redcedar observations were overlaid with the heat map of Portland. These findings will be added to the spring 2024 lesson plan of a plant-based climate change program the HAF education team is piloting in partnership with the US Botanic Garden in Washington D.C.
Join this presentation to learn how layers of community are helping to tell a tree story and connect local young people to the natural world. This is just one example of how community science can go far beyond data collection. Explore with us how projects like this encourage communities to broaden their boundaries, develop and strengthen peoples’ connections to nature, and represent how science is constantly changing based on new findings and trends