Farms to Forests in Blue Hill Bay: Long Island, Maine

Disturbance histories are important factors in determining the composition and structure of today’s forests, and not least among these disturbances is the human use of the land. Land clearing in Maine peaked in 1880 at six and a half million acres, beginning on the coast and lower river valleys and spreading northward and eastward. The forests of Maine’s coastal islands have endured a longer period of clearing than any other in the state. Long Island, located in Blue Hill Bay, was first settled in 1779, primarily by farmers. Sheep-herding, lumbering, fishing, and granite quarrying provided supplemental livelihoods. By 1920 all of the island’s year-round residents had moved to the mainland, leaving only a few summer camps scattered along the coast. This article looks at Long Island from a historical perspective, then compares this land-use history to modern vegetation data and tree core samples. Kristen Hoffmann earned her M.S. in Forest Management from the University of Maine in 2007. She is currently working as a forestland steward for the Forest Society of Maine in Bangor

Disseminating Open Scientific Communication in Psychology: An Overview of Platforms and Policies

In August 2017, APA announced a collaboration with the Center for Open Science to host data and preprints on PsyArXiv. APA journals and those of many other publishers allow posting prepublication manuscripts on the internet. More and more, scholars are pushing against the closed systems of publishing in favor of opening access, narrowly in regards to scholarly publications and more broadly in terms of the entire life cycle of research. When I talk with faculty at my institution, the two general responses I receive to the question, “What does open access look like in your discipline?” is either that it is an email scam from a predatory open publisher or that it involves paying a large sum to their well-respected publisher. In order to ascertain what open access looks like in psychology, I reviewed the recent literature regarding the call for more open scientific communication, especially as it relates to the systems used for dissemination, and documented the many ways that scholars in psychology are openly disseminating their research. Several of these platforms include publishing in open or hybrid journals, or self-archiving using preprint servers such as PsyArXiv, institutional repositories, or other web platforms. I also looked at the various publisher policies regarding self-archiving, especially as they relate to what article versions that can be shared, where they can be posted, and if embargos apply. I argue that publisher policies need to be considered when publishing in order to share work more openly. Not only will such sharing allow for broader dissemination to those who might not otherwise have access, it will lead to easier replicability, research transparency and accountability, and scientific progress

Applications of the Kubelka-Munk color model to xerographic images

The Kubelka-Munk color model describes the reflectance of a color sample as a function of: an absorption spectrum, K (λ ), a scattering spectrum, S(λ ), the sample thickness, X, and the reflectance spectrum of the substrate or backing, Rp. For xerographic applications, the existing model has been modified to account for 1) the need to model the reflectance of multi-layer color images, as is the case with many xerographic print samples, 2) the need to apply the color model with correction parameters to images measured using bi-directional measurement geometry, and 3) the variation in toner layer thickness that can occur within a color sample with process xerography. The methods derived to deal with these cases will be outlined as well as results from application of the model to an experimental image set. Color difference (dE*) values between results predicted with the model and measurements made on equivalent samples were used to characterize the accuracy of the model. The average dE* between the color model predictions for single and bi-layer test samples measured with 45/0 bidirectional measurement geometry and actual color measurements on equivalent samples was found to be 1.8 CIELAB units with a corresponding RMS error of 2.1. For single and bi-layer xerographic print samples measured with 45/0 bi-directional measurement geometry, the color difference between color predictions with the model and color measurements of the print samples was found to be 5.1 CIELAB units with a corresponding RMS error of 5.5

Effects of Charter School Laws on Charter School Performance

Problem Statement Many issues exist in the public school system in the United States today. The main problems are: 1) American students are performing below their peers in other developed nations; 2) American high school graduates have trouble competing in the global economy; 3) Large achievement gaps exist between subgroups of American students. One of the many recommended policy solutions is to create charter schools to induce innovation and competition into the public school system. Research Question While many researchers have looked at charter school outcomes, few consider the effects of charter school laws on student achievement. My research question asks how various components of charter school laws affect the performance of charter school students relative to a matched sample of their traditional public school counterparts. Literature Review Research shows mixed reviews of charter school student performance. Comparability between states is often difficult due to variability between charter schools in each state. This study addresses that problem. Methodology This study looks at a sample of 1,153 matched pairs of charter school schools and traditional public schools. Differences in reading and math proficiency levels are reported for fourth graders whenever possible. A regression was estimated using the difference in proficiency levels between charter school students and their matched public school counterparts as the dependent variable. Independent variables pertained to state law components and other important school level variables. Key Results Allowing for multiple issuing authorities and some non certified teachers is associated with positive outcomes for charter school students. Being very flexible in the number of charter schools making new starts (as opposed to converting public schools to charter schools) and not requiring local support is associated with negative outcomes for charter school students. Some state monitoring of charter school staffing improves student outcomes. Recommendations States should ensure that they are allowing for innovation in schools while providing a basic oversight function. Results from this study should be replicated in the future to verify policy implications. Charter school researchers should control for the effects of charter school laws in future evaluations of charter school performance

Effects of Desensitization on Pain Distribution and Normalization of Somatosensation in a Patient with Quadrilateral Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Background and Purpose: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic condition affecting at least one extremity that can develop after injury, involving allodynia, constant limb pain, and hyperpathic autonomic and somatic symptoms.1 One essential CRPS treatment is somatosensory desensitization (SD), yet efficacy evidence remains limited.2 This study aimed to assess changes in pain distribution and intensity in treated and untreated limbs, as well as possible somatosensory normalization of proximal non-painful limb regions, after 10 weeks of SD. Case Description: The 54 y.o. male patient had an incomplete C5 SCI. Prior to SD, the patient experienced constant searing pain and tactile allodynia in all limbs for 5 years following Type II CRPS diagnosis, despite 18 months of early physical therapy that restored nearly full functional mobility. Quadrilateral involvement permitted researchers to desensitize one upper and one lower limb. The 10-week SD treatment involved progressing coarse materials weekly, applied via self-massage BID. The patient completed pain body diagrams (PBD) with pain distribution score (PDS) calculations applied to PBDs3 to quantify changes in extent of limb pain. Weekly outcome measures included visual analog pain scale (VAS) and allodynia measurements via algometry. Somatosensory changes to all limb areas were measured using Semmes Weinstein monofilaments and 2-point discrimination. Outcomes: Overall PDS decreased by 23.5% (9.5% for treated limbs, 14.0% for untreated limbs). VAS scores for treated limbs decreased by 5.5cm UE and 2.4cm LE, with untreated limb reductions of 0.3cm UE and 1.2cm LE. Monofilament and 2-point discrimination testing revealed subnormal pretreatment somatosensory thresholds and acuity of non-painful proximal limb areas, that subsequently normalized with corresponding decreases in distal pain. Other posttreatment changes included improved UE grip/pinch strength, axial loading tolerance in all limbs, and allodynia. Discussion: Prior literature suggests SD can result in decreased pain in treated limbs, but does not discuss changes in untreated painful areas.4 After 10-weeks of SD, this spinal cord injured patient experienced notable reductions in pain intensity, distribution, and allodynia in all treated and untreated limbs. As pain decreased in more distal areas, somatosenation in proximal, non-painful areas normalized. Findings suggest central neuroplastic changes may occur from SD treatment, possibly involving normalized representation of affected and unaffected areas in the neuromatrix. References: 1. Harden R, Bruehl S, Perez R, et al. Validation of proposed diagnostic criteria (the “Budapest Criteria”) for complex regional pain syndrome. Pain 2010;150(2):268-274. 2. Freedman M, Greis A, Marino L, Sinha A, Henstenburg J. Complex regional pain syndrome: diagnosis and treatment. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2014;25(2):291-303. 3. Allen RJ, Soterakopoulos C, Fugere KJ, Sorbie WK, Oksendahl AL, Looper J. Pain distribution quantification using enhanced \u27rule-of-nines\u27: reliability and correlations with intensity, sensory, affective, and functional pain measures. Physiotherapy 2011;97(S1):309. 4. Allen R, Wilson A. Chapter 91: Physical therapy agents. In: Fishman S, Ballantyne J, Rathmell J, Fishman S, eds. Bonica’s Management of Pain. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2010:1345-1356

Evidence for ACTN3 as a genetic modifier of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by muscle degeneration and progressive weakness. There is considerable inter-patient variability in disease onset and progression, which can confound the results of clinical trials. Here we show that a common null polymorphism (R577X) in ACTN3 results in significantly reduced muscle strength and a longer 10\u2009m walk test time in young, ambulant patients with DMD; both of which are primary outcome measures in clinical trials. We have developed a double knockout mouse model, which also shows reduced muscle strength, but is protected from stretch-induced eccentric damage with age. This suggests that \u3b1-actinin-3 deficiency reduces muscle performance at baseline, but ameliorates the progression of dystrophic pathology. Mechanistically, we show that \u3b1-actinin-3 deficiency triggers an increase in oxidative muscle metabolism through activation of calcineurin, which likely confers the protective effect. Our studies suggest that ACTN3 R577X genotype is a modifier of clinical phenotype in DMD patients

Beneficial Use Impairments, Degradation of Aesthetics, and Human Health: A Review

In environmental programs and blue/green space development, improving aesthetics is a common goal. There is broad interest in understanding the relationship between ecologically sound environments that people find aesthetically pleasing and human health. However, to date, few studies have adequately assessed this relationship, and no summaries or reviews of this line of research exist. Therefore, we undertook a systematic literature review to determine the state of science and identify critical needs to advance the field. Keywords identified from both aesthetics and loss of habitat literature were searched in PubMed and Web of Science databases. After full text screening, 19 studies were included in the review. Most of these studies examined some measure of greenspace/bluespace, primarily proximity. Only one study investigated the impacts of making space quality changes on a health metric. The studies identified for this review continue to support links between green space and various metrics of health, with additional evidence for blue space benefits on health. No studies to date adequately address questions surrounding the beneficial use impairment degradation of aesthetics and how improving either environmental quality (remediation) or ecological health (restoration) efforts have impacted the health of those communities

Time for Reading Instruction: How Much Time Should Schools and Teachers Devote to Reading Instruction in Grades K-2?

Although research has indicated that time allotted for instruction in reading is associated with reading achievement, no studies have examined what is the appropriate or optimal time that should be given to reading instruction in the primary grades (grades K-2). Given the understanding that it is the teachers themselves who would have the best sense of the appropriate time for reading instruction and its various components. Results of the survey indicate that teachers feel that 178-198 minutes be devoted to the general literacy curriculum, while 62-71 minutes be devoted to the core reading curriculum per day. We note that the allocation of time to the major components of reading instruction (word study, fluency, and comprehension) varied considerably. In follow-up survey inquiries, a significant number of teachers manifest difficulties in actually meeting their own recommendations for time appropriation for reading instruction. Among the factors that keep teachers from meeting their recommendations for instructional time are special events that disrupt and disturb the time given for instruction. Recommendations for making time for literacy instruction for effective and efficient are considered

Athletic Training and Public Health Summit

To introduce athletic trainers to the benefits of using a population-based approach to injury and illness prevention and to explore opportunities for partnering with public health professionals on these initiatives