Brownsville Public Library

PurposeThis study aimed to explore the role of bilingual provider preferences in mediating healthcare anxiety and cross-border healthcare access.DesignA multi-channel sampling was employed to recruit participants from Brownsville, Texas from March to September 2024.SettingThe research team distributed bilingual (English/Spanish) survey links through partners and community events and promoted the survey via city broadcasts and social media.SampleThe final analytic sample comprised 144 adult residents of Brownsville.MeasuresThe survey items included measures of healthcare anxiety related to providers, preference for bilingual providers, and access to cross-border healthcare, with socio demographics included as covariates.AnalysisStructural equation modeling examined the relationships between provider-related healthcare anxiety, bilingual provider preferences, and cross-border healthcare access, using path analysis to assess direct and indirect effects.ResultsThe analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between provider-related healthcare anxiety and bilingual provider preferences (β = 0.20, P = 0.018). Additionally, bilingual provider preferences were strongly associated with cross-border healthcare access (β = 0.47, P < 0.001). A mediation effect was observed, where bilingual provider preferences mediated the relationship between healthcare anxiety and cross-border healthcare access (β = 0.10, P = 0.04).ConclusionBilingual provider preferences significantly mediate the relationship between provider-related healthcare anxiety and cross-border healthcare access in U.S.-Mexico border communities. These findings emphasize the importance of language concordance in reducing healthcare anxiety and enhancing access to care.

Nursing programs and their faculty must ensure that graduates have the informatics, digital health, and health care technologies competencies needed by health systems. A gap exists in nursing faculty knowledge, skills, and abilities for incorporating informatics, digital health, and technologies across curricula because of low focus on this area in faculty development initiatives and rapid adoption and evolution of technologies in health care systems. The Nursing Knowledge Big Data Science initiative Education Subgroup used a process to create case studies for including informatics, digital health, and the concomitant clinical reasoning/critical thinking competencies across curricula. Three case study examples were created using the process. The process for creating case studies that incorporate required informatics, digital health, and health care technologies can be used by nursing educators for teaching across their curricula and to assess student competency.

Purpose: Impaired skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow (MBF) is one of the earliest pathophysiologies of type 2 diabetes (T2D) . People with a family history of T2D (FH+ are at greater risk for developing T2D than those with no family history (FH-) . Further, we have shown that normoglycemic Caucasian FH+ individuals have impaired skeletal muscle microvascular responses and metabolic flexibility (MF - ability to switch substrate oxidation upon stimulation) to a mixed meal challenge (MMC) when compared with matched FH- (p&amp;lt;0.01) , suggesting early vascular insulin resistance. Mexican Hispanic individuals have the highest prevalence of T2D in the US and make up ∼95% of Hispanic residents of the Rio Grande Valley (HRGV) where T2D diagnosis rates are ∼3x the national average. Therefore, we sought to determine if impaired MBF responses are present in healthy HRGV. Methods: 15 FH- and 13 FH+ HRGV were recruited to assess MF and MBF responses to a MMC. MF was measured via indirect calorimetry and MBF via contrast-enhanced ultrasound while fasting and again 60-min post MMC. Results: No changes in skeletal MBF were noted in FH- (1.21 ± 0.53 SEM and 0.86 ± 0.23 SEM fasting and postprandial MBF respectively) or FH+ (2.17 ± 0.98 SEM and 1.49 ± 0.66 SEM fasting and postprandial MBF respectively) groups. Abdominal adipose MBF responses increased in FH+ (-2.3 ± 0.71 SEM, p=0.004) , but not in FH- (-0.49 ± 0.39 SEM p=0.39) . FH+ display impaired postprandial metabolic flexibility (MF) responses during 60-min of testing post-MMC. Neither blood glucose responses (99.3 ± 1.3 SEM and 102.27 ± 2.1 SEM fasting and post-prandial respectively, p=0.2) nor body composition differed between FH groups. Conclusions: HRGV display impaired skeletal muscle MBF responses, indicating early vascular insulin resistance. Further, the impairment in MF in FH+ may be partially explained by increased adipose MBF responses, as adipose is less metabolically active than skeletal muscle. Disclosure R. D. Russell: None. Y. Tai: None. S. Marupudi: None.

Abstract SnO2/TiO2 micro belt–fiber composites were successfully synthesized using centrifugal spinning and subsequent heat treatment of SnO2/TiO2/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) precursor fibers. SnO2/TiO2/PVP precursor solutions consisting of different ratios of SnO2 to TiO2 were prepared by mixing Tin (II) 2‐ethylhexanoate and titanium (IV) butoxide with PVP in ethanol. The SnO2/TiO2/PVP mixture was heat treated in air at 700°C, which resulted in the formation of SnO2/TiO2 micron‐sized fibers with a belt‐shaped morphology. Structural, morphology, and surface chemistry characterization of the materials was performed using powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometer, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. SEM analysis showed the SnO2/TiO2 composite fibers with (3:2) ratio had a micro belt morphology with particles on the surface. The material was tested as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs); the composite fiber electrode delivered an initial capacity of 1200 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1. The capacity was observed to decrease to 279 mAh g−1 after 70 cycles; however, the sample retained a columbic efficiency of 99%, which indicated good reversibility. Due to the high surface area and unique structure, the as‐synthesized SnO2/TiO2 composite fibers may be promising for sensor and LIB applications.

Abstract Study of the students of a summer 2007 Engineering Bridge programIn the summer of 2007, a summer engineering bridge program was presented by the EngineeringDepartment of [a border university], an institution which serves a region where opportunities forhigher education has been limited and where the proportion of the population with bachelorsdegrees, and in particular with engineering and science degrees, is lower than the average in thecountry. The summer program was created to prepare students for an engineering education andto ease the “paradigm shift” from high school, where the mission is to graduate a captiveaudience of students, to college, where the mission is to prepare volunteer students forprofessions, arts, or academia. The math and science foundation received in public school by ourincoming engineering freshmen was perceived by the Engineering Department faculty as weak,and it was causing problems for the students, who struggled through math and science courses.The 2007 summer program included three courses, 1) Introduction to Engineering, 2) amathematics review course to prepare students for a Mathematics Department examination thatwould allow students to enter Calculus I (the college entrance examination used at the time didnot assess math level), and 3) a course designed to give practice with Engineering English,primarily for students with poor English skills.Fourteen students attended the summer program, half of whom were recruited from high schoolsin [the Mexican sister city across the border]. The university, an Hispanic Serving Institution,has a student body over 90% Hispanic. All 14 students in the program were Hispanic. Based onexperiences with a cohort of very high-achieving students from the sister city five years earlier,the faculty of the [university] Engineering Department believed that high school graduates fromMexico were more fully prepared in math than local high school graduates and were thereforemore likely to succeed in an engineering program. This turned out to be half true. Mexican highschool students interested in technical or engineering fields do take calculus, but that does notmean the subject is absorbed by all. The other half of the students were from magnet programsat local high schools.The first student from the 2007 summer program graduated with a B.S. degree in [Engineering]in May, 2011, four years after starting. Five more students are planning to graduate by May2012, two with Engineering degrees, two with Computer Science degrees, and one with aPhysics degree. Two more student will graduate with an engineering degree in May 2013. Thisis a total of eight graduates with STEM bachelor degrees in less than six years. A tenth student isnow a Psychology major and an eleventh is a major in Criminal Justice, both with latergraduation dates. The other three dropped out of college by the end of the 2008-2009 academicyear.This paper describes the program in some detail, and tracks the progress of the students from thesummer of 2007 to the present, with comparisons between the products of Mexican high schoolsand American public high school magnet programs. The number of students in the program whocompleted demanding curricula in a reasonable time represents a higher success rate than theaverage for the region, and therefore it may be considered a success. Still, valuable lessons werelearned and this presentation reports on some suggestions to be incorporated into future summerprograms.

The impact of computational algorithms on many art disciplines outside the arena of mathematics, engineering, and technology has been no less than profound. This impact especially applies to biology and criminal justice, two disciplines which have benefited immensely from the advances in computer technology at both the hardware and the software sides. Drawing on the strengths of the Criminal Justice, the Biology, and the Computer and Information Sciences Departments, a new undergraduate degree in computational science has been created (after going through department, college, and state approval processes) for the first time at the institution, and became available to student starting fall of 2010. Heeding the national educational and curricular calls to create new programs that enhance employment chances of college and university graduates, our degree aims at graduating the next generation of students, who are well-versed in the design, application, and understanding of computational algorithms as they apply them to their specific areas of specialization. The new degree allows for future inclusion of other areas/tracks that are proving daily to be more inter-disciplinary and computationally intensive such as biochemistry, nanotechnology, and neuroscience. This paper chronicles our efforts in creating the computational science program and the details of the offered degrees, the required courses, and the learning outcomes expected of future graduates of the program.

Abstract Incorporating Sustainability throughout the Manufacturing Engineering Technology CurriculumManufacturing systems though create material wealth for humans; they consume a great amountof resources while generating a lot of waste. The waste generated during the manufacturingprocesses, at the use phase , and after the end of the life of the products is responsible for thedegradation of the environment. The harmful effects of our consumption and its final impact onthe humankind are well known [1, 2]. Various governments, national and international agencieshave been making efforts to generate strategies and action plans to educate the people andorganizations to strive towards this goal as soon as possible.In the USA, according to the government estimates, manufacturing consumes about one-third ofthe total energy used in the country. Therefore it is imperative that manufacturing industries needto strive for “Sustainable Manufacturing” on their part. Thus it is important for themanufacturing engineering technology students to have a clear understanding of Sustainabilityfrom the very early stage so that they can link it with every aspect of manufacturing. This willhelp them not only to get a better understanding of Sustainability but also to actually practice itin various stages of manufacturing.Sustainable or green manufacturing can be broadly classified into the three major areas of amanufacturing enterprise as: ● Product Design for Sustainability ● Sustainable Manufacturing Processes ● Sustainable Manufacturing Systems (process/industrial engineering)The various core courses taught to manufacturing engineering technology students as per theSME four pillar methodology fall into these three categories. It is therefore necessary to includethe sustainable practices in each of these areas at various stages of teaching these courses. Thiswill help the students to link the sustainable practices in a realistic manner in relation to the coreconcepts of manufacturing engineering technology.The goal of this paper is to develop a comprehensive manufacturing engineering technologycurriculum incorporating sustainable or green manufacturing concepts. The research approachbeing employed is the utilization of surveys and focus group interviews to capture the essentialsustainability concepts that are required to be included in the curriculum.The paper will present the details of developing the manufacturing engineering technologycurriculum with the sustainability practices and the model curriculum that can be implemented intwo year and four year manufacturing engineering technology program.SELECTED REFERENCES[1] Kara, S., S. Manmek, S., and Kaebernick,H. (2007). An Integrated Methodology to Estimatethe External Environmental Costs of Products, CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 56(1), 9–12.[2] Environmental facts (2010), Ecocycle, http://ecocycle.org/files/pdfs/Eco-CycleEnvironmentalFacts.pdf, Retrieved on Oct 28, 2011.[3] Jawahir, I. S., Wanigarathne, P. C., & Wang, X. (2006). Product Design and ManufacturingProcesses for Sustainability. Chapter 12 Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook: Manufacturing andManagement, Volume 3, Third Edition, Edited by Myer Kutz, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 414-443.[4] Trevor S. Harding (2004), Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool for Green ManufacturingEducation, Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education AnnualConference & Exposition.[5] ISO, 2006, ISO 14040 (2006), Environmental Management–Life Cycle Assessment–Principles and Framework, International Standards Organization.[6] Zhang, J. Z., Rao, P. N., & Eckman, M. (2012). Experimental Evaluation of A Bio-BasedCutting Fluid Using Multiple Machining Characteristics. International Journal of ModernEngineering, Volume 12, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2012.[7] X.C. Tan, F. Liu, H.J. Cao, and H. Zhang (2002), A decision-making framework model ofcutting fluid selection for green manufacturing and a case study, Journal of MaterialsProcessing Technology, v. 129 (2002) pp 467-470.[8] Masui, K., Sakao, T., Kobayashi, M., & Inaba, A. (2003). Applying quality functiondeployment to environmentally conscious design. International Journal of Quality & ReliabilityManagement, 20(1), 90-106.[9] Fargnoli, M., & Kimura, F. (2006). Sustainable design of modern industrial products. In 13thCIRP International Conference on Life Cycle Engineering (pp. 189-194).[10] Diaz, N., Ninomiya, K., Noble, J., & Dornfeld, D. (2012). Environmental ImpactCharacterization of Milling and Implications for Potential Energy Savings in Industry. ProcediaCIRP, 1, 518-523.[11] Joost R. Duflou, John W. Sutherland, David Dornfeld, Christoph Herrmann, Jack Jeswiet,Sami Kara, Michael Hauschild, Karel Kellens (2012) Towards energy and resource efficientmanufacturing: A processes and systems approach, CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, v61 (2012) pp 587 – 609[12] Zhang, Julie and P.N. Rao (2013) Green/Sustainable Manufacturing — Evaluation of aSoybean-based Metal Cutting Fluid in Turning Operation, Applied Mechanics and Materials,Vol. 392 (2013) pp 925-930.

Having worked on multidisciplinary projects in 3D image-guided surgery early in his PhD years, he developed a special research interest in medical image processing. Dr. Zaim also led and managed two IT firms providing

The Arabic-speaking region suffers from insufficient levels of physical activity (PA). Assessing the effectiveness of PA interventions presents a scientifically evaluated method to reduce and prevent the current high burden of noncommunicable diseases affecting this region. This review examined implemented PA interventions and corresponding measured health outcomes in this region. The review was limited to studies prior to January 2020 using nine electronic academic databases. Only intervention-focused articles incorporating PA as the primary intervention or as a component of a multibehavioural intervention were included. Thirty-nine PA intervention studies were identified. Published PA interventions were implemented among 50% of the countries in the region. Seventy percent of the studies were conducted in the Gulf region and 25% in North Africa. A third of the studies was designed for children and adolescents. Accordingly, 40% of interventions were for patients living with comorbidities. Seventy percent of the studies included PA as part of a multidisciplinary intervention. Most studies included body mass index as an outcome parameter. Significant improvement (P < .05) in measured health outcomes was seen in 97% of studies. Thorough analysis includes social and culturally congruent aspects of the PA interventions and discussion of resultant health outcomes. This information furthers the understanding of effective PA interventions that can be adapted to target sedentary lifestyle behaviours in this region.