Cylindrical illumination with angular coupling for whole-prostate photoacoustic tomography

Current diagnosis of prostate cancer relies on histological analysis of tissue samples acquired by biopsy, which could benefit from real-time identification of suspicious lesions. Photoacoustic tomography has the potential to provide real-time targets for prostate biopsy guidance with chemical selectivity, but light delivered from the rectal cavity has been unable to penetrate to the anterior prostate. To overcome this barrier, a urethral device with cylindrical illumination is developed for whole-prostate imaging, and its performance as a function of angular light coupling is evaluated with a prostate-mimicking phantom

Strengthening Grantee Effectiveness: The Hyde Family Foundations

The Hyde Family Foundations strategies for improving educational performance in the Memphis, TN schools are detailed in this case study. The multi-faceted approach included funding groups that were advocating for charter schools, supporting grassroots groups and community organizations involved with parents, and establishing a program to recruit and train strong school leaders

Assessing Chronic Opioid Management at an Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Clinic

The number of deaths attributed to synthetic opioids has nearly tripled in the US from 1999 to 2014. Although there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain, a condition estimated to affect 11.2% of the US adult population; opioids are often prescribed for this reason in the outpatient setting. The CDC has produced guidelines regarding safe opioid prescribing methods, however changes are also necessary within clinic systems to improve the safety and management of opioid prescriptions This is particularly important in resident led clinics where multiple providers often see patients over the course of their care. Our quality improvement (QI) project aimed to standardize clinic workflow and management of chronic opioid prescription by implementing routine surveillance screening and creating a new patient survey. Providers were also encouraged to do the following: 1) update problem lists, 2) document specific surveillance dates and signed agreements, and 3) utilize a pre-made progress note template to address specific concerns with chronic opioid use

A file location, replication, and distribution system for network information to aid network management

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-105).This thesis demonstrates and evaluates the design, architecture, and implementation of a file location, replication, and distribution system built with the objective of managing information in an Internet network. The system's goal is to enable the availability of information by providing alternative locations for files in case of situations where the original piece of information cannot be found in the network due to failures or other problems. The system provides the mechanism for duplicating files and executes the act of placing them in multiple locations according to predefined rules for distribution. The resulting system is a working model for a file management system that can exist over the Internet and will aid in overall network management by organizing and overseeing the information found within a network.by Tiffany Cheng.M.Eng

A File Location, Replication, and Distribution System for Network Information to Aid Network Management

MEng thesisThis thesis demonstrates and evaluates the design, architecture, and implementation of a file location, replication, and distribution system built with the objective of managing information in an Internet network. The system's goal is to enable the availability of information by providing alternative locations for files in case of situations where the original piece of information cannot be found in the network due to failures or other problems. The system provides the mechanism for duplicating files and executes the act of placing them in multiple locations according to predefined rules for distribution. The resulting system is a working model for a file management system that can exist over the Internet and will aid in overall network management by organizing and overseeing the information found within a network

Coupled wave and surge modeling of Tillamook Bay, Oregon : extreme events and climate change impacts

Estuaries represent the confluence of land and ocean environments and encompass a number of complex interactions amongst tides, winds, offshore waves and the riverine contributions, all of which contribute to total water levels (TWLs). The study of TWLs and the relative weight of its components can assist local communities in mitigating inundation events as well as drive a deeper understanding of potential impacts on ecological processes. Accurate predictions of surge and TWLs benefit from both deterministic and probabilistic methods. This thesis presents two manuscripts which examine wave and surge behavior within a representative Pacific Northwest estuary, Tillamook Bay, for a pair of fundamentally distinct research objectives: a singular, extreme storm event and a long-term climatological impacts study. Both manuscripts utilize a two-way coupled tidal circulation and nearshore wave transformation model (ADCIRC-SWAN) to simulate wave and surge behavior within Tillamook Bay. The first manuscript details a storm hindcast of the Great Coastal Gale of 2007, a series of extra-tropical cyclones which impacted the Washington and Oregon coasts in December 2007. Wind and pressure data from the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) dataset were used to reproduce meteorological conditions. Non-tidal residuals were extracted at a number of locations of interest, including the tide gauge station, southern Tillamook, the jettied inlet and on open coast, in order to compare and contrast the relative influence of major physical processes to surge levels. From the suite of ADCIRC-SWAN parametric runs, it was found that offshore wave breaking produced an appreciable surge within the bay, even though wave heights quickly attenuate beyond the inlet. Meteorological forcing was the primary generator of complex circulation patterns and a surge in the northern portion of the bay. The model captures the max NTR at the peak of the storm but lacks skill in reproducing non-linear tide-surge interaction. The second manuscript examines changes in inundation patterns within the domain between historical and future climate conditions. Coupled ADCIRC-SWAN is run for two multi-decadal ranges from 1979-1998 and 2041-2060. Relative sea level rise is implemented by adding in 80 cm of water depth. Climate data from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) is used to drive offshore wave modeling, streamflow modeling and the coupled circulation-wave model. Statistical bias correction of climate variables using NARR as a 'target' is performed first before forcing models. Wave information at the offshore boundary are derived from a regional WAVEWATCH-III hindcast and forecast, while riverine inputs are calculated using the MicroMet and HydroFlow runoff routing model

Synthesis and Characterization of Thermally and Chemically Gelling Injectable Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering

Novel, injectable hydrogels were developed that solidify through a dual-gelation, physical and chemical, mechanism upon preparation and elevation of temperature to 37°C. A thermogelling, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based macromer with pendant epoxy rings and a hydrolyticallydegradable polyamidoamine-based diamine crosslinker were synthesized, characterized, and combined to produce in situ forming hydrogel constructs. Network formation through the epoxyamine reaction was shown to be rapid and facile, and the progressive incorporation of the hydrophilic polyamidoamine crosslinker into the hydrogel was shown to mitigate the often problematic tendency of thermogelling materials to undergo significant post-formation gel syneresis. The results suggest that this novel class of injectable hydrogels may be attractive substrates for tissue engineering applications due to the synthetic versatility of the component materials and beneficial hydrogel gelation kinetics and stability

The Effect of the Environment on First Time Marijuana Usage

In this study, the environment of adolescents was evaluated to determine if the environment a child grows up in can effect first time marijuana usage. It was found that environmental threats prospectively predict early initiation of marijuana use among adolescents