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Biosensors have become a prominent field of research in a world where detection is one of the key methods to prevent spread of disease and obtain medical information in a patient. One of the most cost-effective ways to currently do this involves paper-based analytical devices which provide quick feedback on an analyte of interest. The commonly used method, a lateral flow assay with a colorimetric readout, has currently been one of the key proponents of the field with constant research being done on this subject. However, significant limitations to this method are the sensitivity of the test as well as an immobilization requirement for the reactant, requiring extra steps. We suggest combining paper-based devices with a previously established readout method, transient induced molecular electronic signal (TIMES), which uses electrochemical signals to determine if a reaction has occurred. By reading the induced charge that comes from the chemical reaction or analyte being observed, immobilization of the analyte can be bypassed. Furthermore, a direct signal can be generated and analyzed to confirm results rather than relying on a weak colorimetric readout. This method will not only lower the amount, and therefore, cost of the material being used, but also simplify the overall process by skipping the immobilization step. In this paper, we use this method to study protein and antibody binding interactions to confirm the validity of this technique. By showing how the results fit to kinetic standards, we can open up the opportunity for further studies on this method.

As early diagnosis is essential for improving patient outcomes when treating both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, it is necessary to develop diagnostic tests that are accessible at the point of care. Thus, there is a need for rapid, robust, and inexpensive diagnostic tests, especially in resource-limited areas where access to healthcare is reduced. One such test is the lateral-flow immunoassay (LFA), which has seen a drastic rise in use during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the conventional LFA suffers from a couple limitations, which this thesis aims to address. First, we address the limited sensitivity of the LFA by incorporating nanozyme signal enhancement to improve detection of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein in serum. By developing dehydrated signal enhancement reagents and an innovative 3D printed casing to store and deliver reagents at the push of a button, we were able to improve the limit of detection of the LFA by at least 10-fold without introducing additional complexity for the user. Next, we shifted our focus to introducing semi-quantitative results to the LFA through the multicolor etching of gold nanorods (GNRs). We demonstrated the first integration of the LFA with GNRs to produce a multicolor readout for the quantification of digoxin levels in serum. We then expanded upon this work by developing a fully paper-based assay to incorporate both the LFA detection and GNR etching steps together, which involved the design of novel color-changing GNR pads. The color hues generated by GNR etching are easily distinguishable by the naked eye, thus allowing for quantification of target biomarker concentrations at the point of care.

Effective nutrition policies require timely, accurate individual dietary consumption data; collection of such information has been hampered by cost and complexity of dietary surveys and lag in producing results. The objective of this work was to assess accuracy and cost-effectiveness of a streamlined, tablet-based dietary data collection platform for 24-hour individual dietary recalls (24HR) administered using INDDEX24 platform v. a pen-and-paper interview(PAPI) questionnaire, with weighed food record (WFR) as a benchmark. This cross-sectional comparative study included women 18-49 years old from rural Burkina Faso (n 116 INDDEX24; n 115 PAPI). A WFR was conducted; the following day, a 24HR was administered by different interviewers. Food consumption data were converted into nutrient intakes. Validity of 24HR estimates of nutrient and food group consumption was based on comparison with WFR using equivalence tests (group level) and percentages of participants within ranges of percentage error (individual level). Both modalities performed comparably estimating consumption of macro- and micronutrients, food groups and quantities (modalities' divergence from WFR not significantly different). Accuracy of both modalities was acceptable (equivalence to WFR significant at P < 0·05) at group level for macronutrients, less so for micronutrients and individual-level consumption (percentage within ±20 % for WFR, 17-45 % for macronutrients, 5-17 % for micronutrients). INDDEX24 was more cost-effective than PAPI based on superior accuracy of a composite nutrient intake measure (but not gram amount or item count) due to lower time and personnel costs. INDDEX24 for 24HR dietary surveys linked to dietary reference data shows comparable accuracy to PAPI at lower cost.

Statin intolerance is a clinical syndrome whereby adverse effects (AEs) associated with statin therapy [most commonly statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS)] result in the discontinuation of therapy and consequently increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, complete statin intolerance occurs in only a small minority of treated patients (estimated prevalence of only 3-5%). Many perceived AEs are misattributed (e.g. physical musculoskeletal injury and inflammatory myopathies), and subjective symptoms occur as a result of the fact that patients expect them to do so when taking medicines (the nocebo/drucebo effect)-what might be truth even for over 50% of all patients with muscle weakness/pain. Clear guidance is necessary to enable the optimal management of plasma in real-world clinical practice in patients who experience subjective AEs. In this Position Paper of the International Lipid Expert Panel (ILEP), we present a step-by-step patient-centred approach to the identification and management of SAMS with a particular focus on strategies to prevent and manage the nocebo/drucebo effect and to improve long-term compliance with lipid-lowering therapy.

In late fall-early winter 2021 the Institute for Diversity, Equity, and Advancement (IDEA) in the UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion partnered with the UCD-based non-profit Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS) to design the COVID Diaries research project. It was implemented in March – June 2022 at eight middle and high schools (6 - 12th grades) served by SAYS in Sacramento County and Yolo County. To learn more about the project’s findings, see the COVID Diaries White Paper on eScholarship.

To inform the vital conversation among the nation’s political leaders, elections administrators, and scholars about how to hold a safe, accessible, and fair election in November, this paper reports how a sample of 5,612 eligible American voters, surveyed April 8-10, want to see the election run during the COVID-19 crisis. We embed a randomized experiment presenting respondents with truthful summaries of the projections of two teams of scientists about the pandemic. Our descriptive findings show that four in ten eligible voters would prefer to cast their ballot by mail rather than in person this November and that a majority of respondents favor policies expanding mail voting. Our experimental findings show that respondents who read the scientific projections were more likely to prefer voting by mail, were more likely to trust that a mail ballot would be counted accurately, and were more likely to favor holding the election entirely by mail.

This white paper reports on the impact of paid internships for MLIS students at community archives.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the Third International Conference on Smart Multimedia, ICSM 2022, which was held in Marseille, France, during August 25–27, 2022.

BackgroundPrimary care practices are responding to calls to incorporate patients' social risk factors, such as housing, food, and economic insecurity, into clinical care. Healthcare likely relies on the expertise and resources of community-based organizations to improve patients' social conditions, yet little is known about the referral process.ObjectiveTo characterize referrals to community-based organizations by primary care practices.DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviews with healthcare administrators responsible for social care efforts in their organization.ParticipantsAdministrators at 50 diverse US healthcare organizations with efforts to address patients' social risks.Main measuresApproaches used in primary care to implement social needs referral to community-based organizations.ResultsInterviewed administrators reported that social needs referrals were an essential element in their social care activities. Administrators described the ideal referral programs as placing limited burden on care teams, providing patients with customized referrals, and facilitating closed-loop referrals. We identified three key challenges organizations experience when trying to implement the ideal referrals program: (1) developing and maintaining resources lists; (2) aligning referrals with patient needs; and (3) measuring the efficacy of referrals. Collectively, these challenges led to organizations relying on staff to manually develop and update resource lists and, in most cases, provide patients with generic referrals. Administrators not only hoped that referral platforms may help overcome some of these barriers, but also reported implementation challenges with platforms including inconsistent buy-in and use across staff; integration with electronic health records; management and prioritization of resources; and alignment with other organizations in their market.Conclusion and relevanceReferrals to community-based organizations were used in primary care to im

The prevalence of malaria across the globe creates the need for the development of diagnostic devices, as many deaths caused by malaria could be prevented by early diagnosis and treatment. Since typical symptoms of malaria, such as fever and chills, are challenging to distinguish from other diseases, diagnostic tests are crucial for allowing patients to receive the appropriate medical care. While current gold-standard methods such as microscopy are able to identify the presence and species of malaria parasites, the sensitivity achieved with these methods depends on the microscopist’s training, as well as access to resources such as lab equipment and power. Disparities in supplies and training lead to late or incorrect diagnosis in resource-limited areas across the globe. This has led to the development of point-of-care devices, which provide more rapid results without the need for expensive lab equipment or training. One example of such a device is the lateral-flow immunoassay (LFA), which has commonly found use as at-home pregnancy tests and recently as COVID-19 tests. Although the LFA is simple to use and provides easy-to-read results, currently available LFAs for malaria detection suffer from lower sensitivity compared to laboratory tests. In this thesis, I investigate methods for improving the detection of the malaria antigen Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH). Methods to improve the detection of the LFA include biomarker preconcentration and signal enhancement. Biomarker preconcentration can be achieved using aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs), which are liquid-liquid extraction systems composed mostly of water. Molecules that are added into an ATPS can be concentrated into the smaller of the two phases. In addition, the sensitivity of the LFA can be improved through the use of signal enhancement, which aims to increase the intensity at the detection zone with the use of additional or modified colorimetric indicators. In Chapter 2, we focus on us

This thesis examines early-twentieth century Certificates of Registration produced in New Zealand to document Chinese migrants. These identification documents were created to track sojourners who were temporarily returning to China, proving upon their return to New Zealand that they were legal residents and had already paid the expensive poll tax that was imposed under Chinese exclusion policies. Through the Certificates of Registration, the state sought to control Chinese immigration and, by extension, New Zealand’s racial and cultural identity as a White settler colony. These documents imposed a scrutinizing and alienating gaze over the individual Chinese body; they registered physical identity through textual descriptions, fingerprints, and studio photographs which the subjects were responsible for providing. These methods of registering the human body, influenced by developments in anthropology and criminology, naturalized a racial hierarchy where Chinese migrants were continuously alienated in New Zealand as unnatural, foreign entities. Because the Chinese were pictured as an inscrutable and identical hoard in the popular imagination, documentation relied upon miniscule “particularities” and still-developing fingerprint technology. However, both the physical descriptions of “particularities” and the often-smudged or irregularly applied fingerprints had very little practical use. Often vague and illegible, these technologies (and the process of documentation as a whole) can be understood as a punitive social ritual. The photographs provided by the migrants create a startling contrast with the state’s construction of Chinese identity. The collected photographs exhibit a stunning amount of variety in composition, poses, and backdrops that contrasts with the highly standardized ID photos used in government documents today. These honorific studio portraits frame the subjects as Westernized, affluent potential citizens—a striking form of self-fashioning that defies t

Over the past decades, corporate volunteering has gained importance as a strategic component of organizations’ social and environmental responsibility. Across three empirical studies (Chapters 2 – 4), I advance the literature on the antecedents and outcomes of volunteering, focusing on employees and their employers. In Chapter 1, I examine behavioral and emotional antecedents of employees’ engagement in corporate volunteering using a field experiment in a large bank. In Chapter 2, I systematize the individual-level literature on employees’ engagement in both corporate and personal volunteering using a meta-analytic approach. In Chapter 3, I switch levels of analysis and examine firm-level consequences of corporate volunteering, such as internal mobility rates and corporate environmental performance. Notably, throughout the three studies, I go beyond the traditionally examined benefits of corporate volunteering for employees, to incorporate the beneficial effects of corporate volunteering for organizations, society, and the natural environment. Thus, this dissertation advances research on both the business case and the sustainability case for corporate social responsibility.