Savannah Technical College

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is commonly used to treat men with hypogonadism in order to replace the physiological levels of testosterone, although the cardiovascular safety and metabolic advantages of this treatment are still controversial. This article is a systematic review of the existing literature on the cardiovascular impact of TRT on lipid levels, inflammatory parameters, as well as endothelial activity in hypogonadal men. This systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar of peer-reviewed studies that were published between 2005 and 2025. The Revised Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (R-AMSTAR) tool was used to evaluate methodological quality, and the data were synthesized narratively due to substantial heterogeneity across study designs, including differences in TRT formulations, dosing regimens, treatment duration, and the clinical characteristics of hypogonadal populations. Quality ratings were considered when interpreting the evidence, with higher-quality studies providing stronger support for the cardiovascular effects of TRT. In this review, 25 studies were included as they met the inclusion criteria. The included studies comprised randomized controlled trials and observational research designs (systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and cohort studies). Overall, TRT was associated with reductions in total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) showed modest increases or remained stable across studies. Anti-inflammatory effects of testosterone therapy were demonstrated by the decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) and the enhancement of endothelial-dependent vasodilation.In hypogonadal men, TRT shows some improvements in endothelial function and reduced systemic inflammation, with benefits most evident under physiological dosing, while its lipid effects may be generally neutral to mildly favorable (decrease in TC/LDL, HDL often somewhat decreased depending on formulation). Long-term cardiovascular safety appears generally reassuring with respect to major adverse cardiac events in appropriately selected patients, though some adverse events may warrant monitoring. High-quality, longer-duration trials remain needed to strengthen these conclusions.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpesvirus family and the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis, affects over 90% of the global population. Ongoing scientific investigations continue to reveal its wide-ranging health implications. While the association between EBV and lymphoma, as well as nasopharyngeal cancer, has been well-established for several decades, its connection to gastric cancer was only identified approximately 15 years ago. Furthermore, EBV has been implicated in various autoimmune conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.

Are electronic reference books visible in academic libraries? A survey administered to librarians at colleges and universities in the southern United States is used to ascertain the presence and promotion of electronic reference books in academic libraries. Findings reveal that electronic reference books are not as visible in academic libraries (both online and in library buildings) as traditional print reference is. Librarians surveyed indicate they promote electronic reference books more than print reference books. To gain an understanding of what needs more marketing, librarians should examine usage statistics. Librarians should employ a variety of ways to market and promote electronic reference books, and assess which methods work best to reach patrons. In addition, librarians and classroom faculty should work together in collection development and in endorsing the usage of electronic reference books.

IntroductionIn rural and difficult-to-access settings, early and accurate recognition of febrile children at risk of progressing to serious illness could contribute to improved patient outcomes and better resource allocation. This study aims to develop a prognostic clinical prediction tool to assist community healthcare providers identify febrile children who might benefit from referral or admission for facility-based medical care.Methods and analysisThis prospective observational study will recruit at least 4900 paediatric inpatients and outpatients under the age of 5 years presenting with an acute febrile illness to seven hospitals in six countries across Asia. A venous blood sample and nasopharyngeal swab is collected from each participant and detailed clinical data recorded at presentation, and each day for the first 48 hours of admission for inpatients. Multianalyte assays are performed at reference laboratories to measure a panel of host biomarkers, as well as targeted aetiological investigations for common bacterial and viral pathogens. Clinical outcome is ascertained on day 2 and day 28.Presenting syndromes, clinical outcomes and aetiology of acute febrile illness will be described and compared across sites. Following the latest guidance in prediction model building, a prognostic clinical prediction model, combining simple clinical features and measurements of host biomarkers, will be derived and geographically externally validated. The performance of the model will be evaluated in specific presenting clinical syndromes and fever aetiologies.Ethics and disseminationThe study has received approval from all relevant international, national and institutional ethics committees. Written informed consent is provided by the caretaker of all participants. Results will be shared with local and national stakeholders, and disseminated via peer-reviewed open-access journals and scientific meetings.Trial registration numberNCT04285021.

Abstract The metallurgical condition of a cylindrical induction melter (CIM) vessel was evaluated after approximately 375 h of operation over a two-year span at temperatures between 1400 to 1500 deg C. Wall thinning and significant grain growth was observed in the lower portion of the conical section and the drain tube. No through-wall penetrations were found in the cylindrical and conical sections of the CIM vessel and only one leak site was identified in the drain tube. Failure of the drain tube was associated with localized overheating and creep. The observed degradation resulted from cumulative service at elevated temperature. A recommendation was made to implement a support for the conical section of the CIM and to increase the wall thickness of the drain tube. Thus, the possibility of drain tube misalignment in the induction coils and localized over heating will be minimized. In addition, the use of grain stabilized Pt/Rh alloy should be evaluated as a method to prevent grain growth.

Abstract K-12 school teachers in general lack formal instruction and classroom training to teach STEM courses. Research also, indicates that most K-12 teachers are normally required to complete only minimal coursework in science and mathematics, which constrains their knowledge, ability, and confidence for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) content. Furthermore, K-12 teachers, like much of the general public, have inadequate comprehension about the relationship between STEM concepts and engineering fields and the kind of work and collective contributions made by engineers. Yet, K-12 school is a critical time in which students develop foundational understanding of STEM concepts, career options, and critical thinking learning skills. To address the aforementioned issues XXX State University and YYY Technical College in collaboration with NASA developed four week Summer Educational Internship Program for Math and Engineering Technology rising sophomore students to prepare them for two week teaching experience with students in grades 6-12. Fifteen (12 from XXX and 3 from YYY) students were selected to participate in the Summer Educational Internship Program (SEIP) and was offered a stipend of $1000. Several instructional models were explored for teaching mathematics and engineering at grades 6-12 levels. Summer educational internship program was divided into three different phases. In phase I students attended a week course offered by NASA which provided them with hands on activities that can be integrated in teaching of STEM from 6-12 grades, in phase II summer interns were given assistance on teaching methodologies and in phase III summer interns were involved in teaching students from 6-12 grades. This paper will describe all three phases of summer educational internship program to enhance the interest of summer interns in STEM disciplines.

A series of three-dimensional laboratory experiments on beach nourishment behavior are described and analyzed. The experiments were designed to isolate the influences of berm height, beachfill median grain size, wave height, and wave period. The results have not been scaled up to prototype conditions, but many features of the laboratory evolution have also been observed in previous field studies. Laboratory results indicate that beachfill half-life (time required for half of the added volume to leave the nourished footprint) is inversely correlated with wave height, and positively correlated with berm height. A weak positive correlation with grain size was found. The influence of wave period was inconclusive. A coupled model describing the effects of both longshore and cross-shore sediment transport was developed and applied. The model accounts for the rapid loss of nourishment material offshore via cross-shore sediment transport, followed by a more gradual redistribution up- and downcoast of the project via longshore sediment transport. The influence of cross-shore sediment transport decreases as the beach slope approaches that of the prenourishment beach. The new model has not been calibrated for application at field scales, but it does reproduce the salient features of the laboratory dataset, and previous field data sets, such as the flattening of the beach profile as the project evolves. By describing the position of three elevation contours (berm crest, waterline, and beachfill toe), it thus provides a more realistic alternative to the "one-line" models often applied to beach nourishment problems by accounting for cross-shore sediment transport.

Preliminaries.- Probabilistic Analysis.- Methods of Structural Reliability.- Reliability-based Structural Optimization.- Stochastic Expansion for Probabilistic Analysis.- Probabilistic Analysis Examples via Stochastic Expansion.- Summary.

Laboratory measurements of a rip current system were obtained from a series of experiments in a directional wave basin using both in situ instruments and optical based methods. The in situ measurements include both water level and velocity measurements at key locations in the flow domain and Lagrangian drifters were recorded with digital video. Rip current pulsations were investigated for both monochromatic and bi-chromatic wave conditions. Although the rip current system had a response at the forced group frequency, there was significant energy at additional un-forced frequencies. The temporal relationship between rip mechanisms was also investigated for bi-chromatic wave conditions. A considerable lag exists between the peak of the pressure gradient forcing and the peak of the resulting current.