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Individuals with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions at higher rates than ever before, although many struggle to adjust in college environments. On one hand, higher education positively correlates with better employment outcomes, while on the other, higher education represents more stringent academic requirements and more diffused disability supports. One intervention used to check the "trauma" of transition from high school to postsecondary education is mentoring. This article describes four successful mentorship programs, in various stages of maturity, which are currently funded by the National Science Foundation. The case studies describe the structure of each program, recruitment strategies, the students involved, and outcomes achieved to date. Implications or "lessons learned" are also discussed to provide other important information and impetus for those anticipating such programs.

Objectives To assess secular trends in baseline characteristics of PsA patients initiating their first or subsequent biologic DMARD (bDMARD) therapy and to explore prescription patterns and treatment rates of bDMARDs from 2006 to 2017 in the Nordic countries. Methods PsA patients registered in the Nordic rheumatology registries initiating any treatment with bDMARDs were identified. The bDMARDs were grouped as original TNF inhibitor [TNFi; adalimumab (ADA), etanercept (ETN) and infliximab (IFX)]; certolizumab pegol (CZP) and golimumab (GOL); biosimilars and ustekinumab, based on the date of release. Baseline characteristics were compared for the five countries, supplemented by secular trends with R 2 calculations and point prevalence of bDMARD treatment. Results A total of 18 089 patients were identified (Denmark, 4361; Iceland, 449; Norway, 1948; Finland, 1069; Sweden, 10 262). A total of 54% of the patients were female, 34.3% of patients initiated an original TNFi, 8% CZP and GOL, 7.5% biosimilars and 0.3% ustekinumab as a first-line bDMARD. Subsequent bDMARDs were 25.2% original TNFi, 9% CZP and GOL, 12% biosimilars and 2.1% ustekinumab. From 2015 through 2017 there was a rapid uptake of biosimilars. The total of first-line bDMARD initiators with lower disease activity increased from 2006 to 2017, where an R 2 close to 1 showed a strong association. Conclusion Across the Nordic countries, the number of prescribed bDMARDs increased from 2006 to 2017, indicating a previously unmet need for bDMARDs in the PsA population. In recent years, PsA patients have initiated bDMARDs with lower disease activity compared with previous years, suggesting that bDMARDs are initiated in patients with a less active inflammatory phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in postsecondary education; in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors; in graduate and post-doctoral work; and in faculty positions, particularly in STEM. Despite these lags behind their non-disabled counterparts, few organizations recruit persons with disabilities into postsecondary education and/or STEM careers and, thus, scant literature exists on targeted recruitment efforts. The intent of this article is to examine data concerning these lags, to review what literature does exist on recruitment of students with disabilities, and to report on promising practices developed by the Midwest Alliance, an NSF-funded endeavor to increase the number of individuals with disabilities in STEM. It is believed that these efforts and descriptions may help other organizations recruit individuals with disabilities into their postsecondary programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines a variety of microbes to trigger reactive arthritis. Treatment and management of the disease; Evaluation of microbiological and serological findings; Importance of tests to identify the causative agent.