University of Nebraska Omaha

About: University of Nebraska Omaha is a education organization based out in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 4526 authors who have published 8905 publications receiving 213914 citations. The organization is also known as: UNO & University of Omaha.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis in solid organ transplant recipients: Clinical relevance of serum cryptococcal antigen

Abstract: Background. The role of serum cryptococcal antigen in the diagnosis and determinants of antigen positivity in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with pulmonary cryptococcosis has not been fully defined. Methods.We conducted a prospective, multicenter study of SOT recipients with pulmonary cryptococcosis during 1999-2006. Results. Forty (83%) of 48 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis tested positive for cryptococcal antigen. Patients with concomitant extrapulmonary disease were more likely to have a positive antigen test result (P = .018), and antigen titers were higher in patients with extrapulmonary disease (P = .003) or fungemia (P = .045). Patients with single nodules were less likely to have a positive antigen test result than were those with all other radiographic presentations (P = .053). Among patients with isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis, lung transplant recipients were less likely to have positive cryptococcal antigen test results than were recipients of other types of SOT (Pp.003). In all, 38% of the patients were asymptomatic or had pulmonary cryptococcosis detected as an incidental finding. Nodular densities or mass lesions were more likely to present as asymptomatic or incidentally detected pulmonary cryptococcosis than as pleural effusions and infiltrates (P = .008). Conclusions. A positive serum cryptococcal antigen test result in SOT recipients with pulmonary cryptococcosis appears to reflect extrapulmonary or more advanced radiographic disease.

Changes in criminal offending around the time of job entry: a study of employment and desistance

Abstract: Does employment promote desistance from crime? Most perspectives assume that individuals who become employed are less likely to offend than those who do not. The critical issue has to do with the timing of employment transitions in the criminal trajectory. The turning point hypothesis expects reductions in offending after job entries, whereas the maturation perspective assumes desistance to have occurred ahead of successful transitions to legitimate work. Focusing on a sample of recidivist males who became employed during 2001-2006 (N = 783), smoothing spline regression techniques were used to model changes in criminal offending around the point of entry to stable employment. Consistent with the maturation perspective, the results showed that most offenders had desisted prior to the employment transition and that becoming employed was not associated with further reductions in criminal behavior. Consistent with the turning point hypothesis, we identified a subset of offenders who became employed during an active phase of the criminal career and experienced substantial reductions in criminal offending thereafter. However, this trajectory describes less than 2 percent of the sample. The patterns observed in this research suggest that transition to employment is best viewed as a consequence rather than as a cause of criminal desistance. Language: en

Formative Feedback: Involving Students as Partners in Assessment to Enhance Learning.

Abstract: Planning time for giving students effective feedback is an important and challenging aspect of the teaching and learning process. In our article we describe and analyze how we engage students as partners in providing formative feedback in time for students to modify their own thinking or behavior to improve learning. We have found ways to provide formative feedback more frequently and to involve students in providing effective formative feedback to each other. The four techniques we describe are the following: a) three-color group quiz with feedback on product, process, and progress; b) midterm student conferencing; c) shared revision of student generated questions and statements; and d) timely feedback using collaborative assignment blogs. These techniques give feedback in time for revisions to occur, provide scaffolding for learners, inform instruction, and most importantly, involve students as partners in assessment. These pedagogical strategies show that the resulting benefits of improved instruction,...