BEYOND AMATEURISM: EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL LABOR EXPENSES OF NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE EMPLOYMENT

In light of recent administrative developments urging the classification of student-athletes as employees, litigation challenging the current status of student-athletes, and the Supreme Court’s willingness to tackle National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) issues, many questions surrounding the future of college sports under an employment model have emerged. The authors analyzed key litigation, recent developments from administrative agencies, and academic literature. Then publicly available data was used from the NCAA, the United States Department of Labor (DOL), and other sources to construct two estimates of what it would cost the NCAA member institutions to treat their Division I athletes as employees. The GOALS Hours model shows that paying student-athletes for all the athletic hours they report in season would be significantly more expensive than what the NCAA currently spends on athletic student aid. The NCAA Hours model shows that paying student-athletes minimum wage for only the hours allowed under current NCAA rules could be a reasonable option for the NCAA in terms of total costs. The authors considered different cost-management strategies and likely outcomes for the NCAA under both models

ASSESSING THE UTILITY OF BREAST CANCER POLYGENIC RISK SCORES AND ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICAL FACTORS IN A POPULATION OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women and is classified as a complex disease. Advances in population genomics have led to the development of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) with the potential to enhance current risk models, but replication is often limited. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the predictive capabilities of two high-powered BC PRSs in a sample population selected for breast cancer. In addition, the capacity of the PRSs to predict clinical variables that could improve BC screening and treatments was explored. METHODS: Two published PRS algorithms (313 vs 3820) were used to score female subjects in this retrospective case-control study utilizing genetically similar populations from the integrated Cancer Repository for Cancer Research and Netherland Twin Register as BC positive and negative subjects, respectively. All subject biospecimens were genotyped on a custom Illumina Global Screening Array followed by standardized quality control, imputation, and principal component analysis (PCA). Phenotypic data was collected using patient-based questionnaires for cases and controls, with additional electronic medical record data. 261 cases and 1,303 controls were scored and PRS performance and associations were compared using means testing and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: Mean PRSs were significantly different (p\u3c0.001) between cases and controls for both PRSs (313_PRS: 0.4122 vs. -0.0236, 3820_PRS: 0.4393 and -0.0305, respectively). ROC analysis showed an area of 0.609 and 0.619 for the 313 PRS and 3820 PRS, respectively. Survival curve analysis revealed a increase in BC incidence in the highest 313_PRS bin starting at approximately age 40 that persisted throughout life. Odds ratio (OR) calculations revealed that the 313_PRS improved risk stratification across the lifespan and increased with age. Clinical phenotypes did not show significant associations. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides further evidence of the reproducibility and predictive performance of two previously published BC PRSs utilizing an independent study population. Our analyses indicate that the 313_PRS is better able to stratify BC risk, especially for those over age 60. Associations of BC clinical phenotypes and PRS were not significant, indicating the specificity and limitations of PRS use and the need for trait specific PRS development

Children\u27s engagement during shared reading of ebooks and paper books: A systematic review.

Children’s engagement during shared reading of ebooks and paper books (reading medium) has been compared in numerous studies. Findings vary, making it difficult to advise caretakers and educators in selecting reading materials for children. The primary purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the prior findings on reading medium engagement in children to ascertain the overall effect of reading medium on behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The secondary purpose was to examine which characteristics of ebooks and reading contexts may possibly better support which forms of engagement. A systematic review of experimental reading medium comparisons on children’s engagement during shared reading was conducted. Studies needed to compare the same book or books in both paper and ebook form to be included. The systematic search yielded 15 eligible studies with 27 behavioral engagement effect sizes, 16 emotional engagement effect sizes, and 24 cognitive engagement effect sizes. Based on meta-analyses, there were no reliable differences between reading medium on any form of engagement. Based on a narrative synthesis, narrated ebooks appeared to foster greater levels of behavioral engagement in terms of visual attention than paper books. Parents and children demonstrated similar patterns of emotional and cognitive engagement with each other. Enhancements to ebooks may possibly foster all three forms of engagement. Overall, the results provide some insight into why enhancements may facilitate reading comprehension as well as why static ebooks comprehension is typically less than paper book comprehension

The effects of balance exercises on lower extremity injury prevention: a systematic review

Background: Previous systematic reviews have identified injury risk predictors of sport-related lower extremity (LE) injuries based on exercise programs. There are limited studies indicating the advantage of single-leg balance (SLB) training and its effectiveness in lowering injury rates. Research Question: Investigate which types of balance training were used in effective injury prevention programs. Methods: A systematic review utilizing the SPORTDiscus and PubMed databases. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials from the last 10 years that included LE injury prevention, a balance training component and participants aged 10-30. Results: 5 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, comprising 2,926 athletes. Three studies included SLB on firm surfaces, none significantly reduced injury. Two studies had SLB on alternating surfaces, one showed a significant reduction in injury risk. One article included SLB with psychomotor and attentional demands, which reduced injury risk. Two studies including SLB with dynamic movement showed reduced injury risk. Two studies including SLB with perturbations showed reduced injury risk and three studies showed that high adherence led to decreased injury risk. Clinical Significance: There is a dearth of research in this area, with only 5 studies within the last 10 years, so caution needs to be applied to make clinical judgments based on this systematic review. The current studies show a trend toward SLB training on firm surfaces not providing any protection against injury. However, SLB training that is incorporated with dual tasks, dynamic movement, or perturbations and that have high adherence, may give some benefit toward injury reduction

Occupational Therapy in Family Education: Fourth Trimester Wellness to Kindergarten Readiness

Early intervention programs provide unique opportunities for children to develop cognitive, socioemotional, behavioral, and executive functioning skills which are necessary for success in the school environment. The purpose of this 14-week capstone experience was to integrate trauma-informed occupational therapy principles into an early childhood family education course and to advocate for the role of occupational therapy in postpartum and postnatal wellness. Methods included facilitating play-based interactions between caregivers and children, preparing and presenting educational materials, completing an annotated bibliography, and developing a freely accessible webpage with information about fourth trimester support. The outcomes of this project demonstrate that implementation of TBRI® Nurture Group© activities to an early childhood education program is an effective strategy to promote social-emotional development of children ages 2-5 years. The value of occupational therapy in health promotion for mothers and infants during the fourth trimester is also highlighted

“I am Still Dakota”: Assimilation, Education, and Survival on the Lake Traverse Reservation

In 1867, the Sisseton Wahpeton signed the Lake Traverse Treaty and settled on the Lake Traverse Reservation in Northeastern South Dakota. As part of the growing westward expansion of settlers, the U.S government confined Indigenous peoples to reservations and tried to destroy their culture. Federal and state governments since then have continued to eliminate, relocate, and assimilate Indigenous people. For Indigenous peoples, the land is life, and assimilation through boarding schools served to sever them from their land and enforce white superiority. In this thesis, I argue that the Sisseton Wahpeton found ways to engage in cultural resilience utilizing Indigenous paradigms of doublespeak, the rhetoric of refusal, survivance, and healing. Chief Gabriel Renville saved whites in the U.S.-Dakota War and used settler views of him as “friendly” to work for the creation of the Lake Traverse Reservation. Sam Brown served within the settler safety zone as an example in the larger national agenda of what defined a civilized Indian. But this also allowed him to support cultural resilience within the Sisseton School in subtle ways. The children who attended the school carved out paths of cultural resilience and refused to say that all was well in the community. Finally, the boarding school closed in 1919, and the Catholic Tekakwitha Orphanage opened in the 1930s as another method of settler colonial assimilation. Under a color-blind racial ideology, Catholic Oblate priests believed white families must adopt Indigenous children to save them. Yet, Sisseton Wahpeton children who experienced these traumas found ways to heal the soul wound of their trauma with a return to traditional methods of healing. By the late 20th century, the Sisseton Wahpeton created new pathways for cultural resurgence through self-determination and educational reclamation. Survival schools like Tiospa Zina used grassroots curriculum and Dakota language to renew their Indigenous identity and culture. From one generation to the next, the Sisseton Wahpeton rejected paternalistic narratives of assimilation and survived. Instead, through various Indigenous paradigms of doublespeak, resilience, and healing, they shifted their identities in new ways to keep their culture alive

A Suspected Case of Levetiracetam Induced Rhabdomyolysis

Background: Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiseizure drug which works to terminate convulsions and is used in the treatment of certain types of seizures. It is commonly used to treat epilepsy in adults, and has proven an effective treatment for adults with focal seizures. This drug is normally well tolerated, but commonly reported adverse effects include fatigue, somnolence, and dizziness. A few less common effects have been noted as well, including behavioral disturbances, thrombocytopenia, and—in very few cases—rhabdomyolysis. Case Report: Our case reports a 55-year-old male who presented to a rural emergency department for active convulsing and unresponsiveness. Initial treatment stopped convulsions temporarily, but seizing resumed after imaging. The patient was then loaded with 4g IV levetiracetam with instructions to re-administer 2g IV every 12 hours. Throughout the course of treatment, creatinine kinase (CK) levels increased from a baseline of 391 U/L to a peak value of 13,385 U/L on day six of levetiracetam use, despite IV fluid administration. The correlation in timing between the start of levetiracetam administration and the steady rise in CK levels was suspicious for drug-induced rhabdomyolysis. Levetiracetam was discontinued and CK levels promptly started to decline, furthering our suspicions. Case review revealed 14 other instances of levetiracetam-induced rhabdomyolysis in the last decade, supporting the correlation found between the drug and the increase in CK levels. Conclusion: Our case outlines the potential for levetiracetam to cause rhabdomyolysis. Instances have shown a significant temporal correlation between the administration of the medication and increase in creatinine kinase levels. CK levels should be closely monitored and management plans may need to be changed in patients who develop rhabdomyolysis

HANDWRITING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ BELIEFS, KNOWLEDGE, PREPARATION, PRACTICE AND INFLUENCING FACTORS IN HANDWRITING INSTRUCTION

Handwriting instruction is often seen as less important in the curriculum, particularly due to pressures of passing high states assessments and the need to develop technology competencies, as technology in education and society has become commonplace. Current research shows that literacy skills are supported through the direct instruction of handwriting. Handwriting has also been associated with academic success, autoactivating the memory and processing portion of the brain, and is an important component in preparing the brain for phonics and reading acquisition. This has created a problem of a significant disconnect between research-based recommendations and current classroom practices in handwriting instruction. The teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and instructional practice are key components of successful handwriting implementation as studies have found that teachers who receive researched-based training deliver quality instruction while those who do not receive this training seem to avoid teaching handwriting. With the instructor and quality of instruction being a strong indicator of student performance, it is important to understand teachers’ beliefs about handwriting and perceptions of their knowledge and skills concerning handwriting instruction, as teachers’ beliefs affect how they teach which in turn affects student achievement. This qualitative study explored elementary teachers\u27 beliefs, knowledge, preparation, and practice of handwriting instruction. Interviews were conducted with K-4 grade level teachers from three school districts in the upper Midwest. The qualitative analysis consisted of identifying themes from a semi-structured interviews with ten participants, two teachers from each K-4 grade levels from three upper Midwestern school districts. Conclusions from the study showed teachers believe handwriting is a fundamental skill important for literacy and academic success but aren’t familiar with the research to support their belief. Teachers are concerned about their level of preparation and whether their current practice is ‘best practice.’ Finding time to teach handwriting in busy schedules was identified as a challenge and there was inconsistency in the length and frequency of handwriting instructional time across participants. Strong leadership, conversations around effective practices in handwriting, and more training about handwriting instruction were identified as ways improve practice

EXPLORING FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITHIN THE GREEK LIFE SYSTEM

Being a first-generation college student (FGCS) can be intimidating. Being involved in an organization that involves the student in a community of similar minds with different backgrounds can help acclimate the student to college life while giving opportunities for different social and academic growth. Greek life could be that organization. This study aims to learn from FGCS, who are a part of Greek life, what their experiences are like being in both groups. The interviews conducted found that FGCS who are a part of Greek life experience an ease in transition to college life, adjusted expectations, impacted first-year experiences, are in search of a community, and use their connections and experiences in Greek life to lessen the labels that are sometimes attached with being a FGCS