Gary’s Sneakers: A 3D Animated Short

Gary’s Sneakers is a 3D animated short that I made with my collaborator, Meghan Grube, for the Honors Capstone Creative Project. It is a narrative featuring three main characters: a teenage boy named Gary and his two sneakers. In this animation the large clash with the small as the lazy Gary finds himself at odds with his sneakers. It is a battle of inactivity versus dynamic movement, as the sneakers fight the sedentary lifestyle choices of their owner. Based in the world of 3D animated shorts, Gary’s Sneakers was inspired by many other works in the genre, particularly those from Pixar studios. There are similarities between plot, character, and color and lighting choices, but my partner and I strove to put our own touch on our animation. Like many shorts, it is humorous and involves an unexpected outcome. We worked mainly in Lightwave 3D when creating this animation, and followed the traditional animation pipeline. First we developed a concept and narrative, then Meg made sketches and storyboards. I built the models and while she rigged and weight mapped them, I began work on the textures, using Photoshop and Lightwave’s built-in texturing capabilities. Meg then started animating, and I prepared the light setups and made final render decisions. Meg then compiled the rendered scenes in QuickTime and Final Cut Pro and we worked together with the help of another student to create the sound using Logic Pro. We rendered the final animation and authored it to DVD. The final animation is a little over two and a half minutes in length. It is filled with humor, character, conflict, and consequence. It explores social trends, but still acts as a source of entertainment on the surface level. Even after a year of working on it, it still makes me laugh. Hopefully it will do the same for everyone

10. Influence of Container Color and Medium Depth on Avian Herbivory of Longleaf Pine Seed

Survey results from nursery managers have indicated avian herbivory as the leading cause of seed loss and germinant mortality in forest tree seedling nurseries in the southern United States. Reports indicate over $150,000 in lost revenue with a 1% seed loss. Shade cloths are typically used to prevent herbivory but can often exacerbate losses when birds become trapped underneath the cloth. In a previous research trial that investigated longleaf pine sowing methods and subsequent seedling development, it was observed that birds exclusively foraged on seeds sown in cavities filled to depths of five inches (operational depth) compared to those sown at depths of three inches. The goal of this research was to determine if container color and medium depth affected the level of avian herbivory during the germination phase. Longleaf pine seeds were sown in either black or white container cells filled to either three or five inches of growing medium for a total of four treatments. There were three repetitions (trays of 49 cells) for each treatment. Birds consumed 74% of seeds sown in full cavities compared to 36% of seeds in cavities filled to three inches. Seed loss was 20 percentage points higher in black cavities compared to white cavities. Consumption occurred faster in cells filled to five inches (majority in first five days). Determining patterns in seed loss by avian species will assist nursery managers with decisions on sowing techniques and container selection and will help eliminate economic losses

Why are you here again? Concordance between consumers and providers about the primary concern in recurring psychiatric visits

Patient-centered care has become increasingly important over the last decade, both in physical and mental health care. In support of patient-centered care, providers need to understand consumers׳ primary concerns during treatment visits. The current study explored what primary concerns were brought to recurring psychiatric visits for a sample of adults with severe mental illness (N=164), whether these concerns were concordant with those recognized by providers, and which factors predicted concordance. We identified 17 types of primary concerns, most commonly medications and symptoms, with only 50% of visits showing evidence of at least partial agreement between consumers and providers. Contrary to expectations, consumer demographics, activation, trust, and perceptions of patient-centeredness were not predictive, while greater preferences for autonomy predicted poorer agreement. Our findings highlight the need for interventions to promote a shared understanding of primary concerns in recurring psychiatric visits. Further attention is needed to ensure the provision of patient-centered care such that consumer concerns are acknowledged and addressed within recurring psychiatric visits

High school students who experienced a concussion are more likely to report indicators of depression: A cross-sectional examination using the 2017 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Objective: To examine the relationship between a history of concussions and depressive indicators in high school students. Methods: 2017 Vermont Youth Behavior Risk Survey data (n = 26,962) was used to evaluate a potential association between concussions and depressive indicators in 20,653 eligible high schoolers using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, controlling for covariates. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis using a dichotomous concussion variable revealed that the odds of reporting one or more depression indicators were greater for individuals reporting at least one concussion in the past year compared to individuals who did not report any concussions, controlling for all covariates (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.40). Subsequent sensitivity analysis demonstrated that odds of reporting one or more depression indicators increased 12.4% with each additional concussion up to the four-concussion study maximum, controlling for all covariates (95% CI: 1.07, 1.18). Conclusion: Concussions are significantly associated with depressive indicators in high school students, and odds of reporting depressive indicators increases with each additional concussion. Consequently, students with concussions are at greater risk for depressive , and future studies should elucidate this association using prospective methodology

Parenthood and severe mental illness: Relationships with recovery

Objective Parenting is an important life domain for many people, but little research examines the parenting experience and its role in recovery for those with a severe mental illness. The current study provides preliminary evidence of how these concepts are related in a sample of individuals living with severe mental illness attending a community mental health center. We also explored potential differences between mothers and fathers, which could help better tailor services to meet the needs of parents with severe mental illness. Methods Data were obtained during baseline interviews for a study testing an intervention designed to increase shared decision-making in psychiatric treatment. Participants (N = 167) were administered measures of patient activation, recovery, autonomy preference, hope, and trust in providers. We compared parents and non-parents and compared mothers and fathers using chi-square, t-tests, and, where appropriate, analysis of covariance. Results Parents had a significantly higher level of trust in their psychiatric care provider than non-parents. Contrary to hypotheses, parents were less active in their treatment and preferred less information-seeking autonomy than did non-parents, but did not differ on other recovery-related indices. No differences on recovery-related indices were detected between mothers and fathers. Secondary analyses revealed parents with minor children had more hope than parents of older children. Conclusions and Implications for Practice Although parents may have higher levels of trust in their physicians, our preliminary findings suggest that parents with severe mental illness may benefit from increased efforts to help them be more active and interested in information about their illnesses

Factor structure of the autonomy preference index in people with severe mental illness

People vary in the amount of control they want to exercise over decisions about their healthcare. Given the importance of patient-centered care, accurate measurement of these autonomy preferences is critical. This study aimed to assess the factor structure of the Autonomy Preference Index (API), used widely in general healthcare, in individuals with severe mental illness. Data came from two studies of people with severe mental illness (N=293) who were receiving mental health and/or primary care/integrated care services. Autonomy preferences were assessed with the API regarding both psychiatric and primary care services. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate fit of the hypothesized two-factor structure of the API (decision-making autonomy and information-seeking autonomy). Results indicated the hypothesized structure for the API did not adequately fit the data for either psychiatric or primary care services. Three problematic items were dropped, resulting in adequate fit for both types of treatment. These results suggest that with relatively minor modifications the API has an acceptable factor structure when asking people with severe mental illness about their preferences to be involved in decision-making. The modified API has clinical and research utility for this population in the burgeoning field of autonomy in patient-centered healthcare

Correlates of observer-rated active involvement in psychiatric treatment visits

Among people with serious mental illness, increased patient activation has been linked to a range of key recovery outcomes. To date, patient activation has been measured largely through self-report. The present study investigated correlates of a new tool that assesses active involvement through rating audio-recordings of treatment visits. The key domains of patient activation assessed in visits included: patients asking questions, discussing with providers instances of being active in managing illness outside the session, talking about goals, bringing up concerns, making evaluative statements about treatment, setting the agenda for the visit, and making requests about the course of treatment. The new coding scheme proved to be a feasible and reliable method for identifying multi-faceted behavioral indicators of patient activation. Contrary to our hypotheses, in a sample of 166 people diagnosed with severe mental illnesses, self-reported activation and observer-rated indices of activation were often not correlated or correlated in unexpected directions with the new behavioral measure of patient activation. This suggests the nature of patient activation may be complex and work is needed to understand how observer-rated and self-rated activation may predict differential recovery outcomes

Creating strong teacher-student relationships to close opportunity gaps

This paper utilizes a dissertation-in-practice model (Storey et al., 2015) wherein scholar-practitioners examine the implementation of teacher professional learning in the areas of culturally responsive practice (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 2001; Brown, 2004; Bondy, 2007; Lambeth & Smith, 2016; Chang & Viesca, 2022), implicit bias (Mason et al., 2017; Post et al., 2020; Wright et al., 2022), and the establish-maintain-restore method (Cook et al., 2018) to improve teacher-student relationships. Educators are just beginning to understand a seemingly obvious connection: student performance is largely predicated on teacher-student relationships (TSRs). The quality of TSRs has been associated with students’ social functioning, behavior, engagement in learning, and academic achievement (Roorda et al., 2011; Mason et al., 2017; Scales et al., 2020). The professional learning modules utilized in this improvement work engage the research and standards for adult learning framed by Learning Forward (Learning Forward, 2022). I employ improvement science methodologies and traditional mixed methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the professional learning interventions. These methods include quantitative survey data, qualitative focus group data, and field note data. Evaluation findings indicate that one of the four goals for the improvement initiative was met, and qualitative sources revealed additional themes: a) teachers connect culture with relationships, (b) teachers yearn to learn about culturally responsive practices, and (c) dialogue contributes to learning and relationship building

The Relationship Between Professional Burnout and Quality and Safety in Healthcare: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Healthcare provider burnout is considered a factor in quality of care, yet little is known about the consistency and magnitude of this relationship. This meta-analysis examined relationships between provider burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) and the quality (perceived quality, patient satisfaction) and safety of healthcare. METHODS: Publications were identified through targeted literature searches in Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses through March of 2015. Two coders extracted data to calculate effect sizes and potential moderators. We calculated Pearson's r for all independent relationships between burnout and quality measures, using a random effects model. Data were assessed for potential impact of study rigor, outliers, and publication bias. RESULTS: Eighty-two studies including 210,669 healthcare providers were included. Statistically significant negative relationships emerged between burnout and quality (r = -0.26, 95 % CI [-0.29, -0.23]) and safety (r = -0.23, 95 % CI [-0.28, -0.17]). In both cases, the negative relationship implied that greater burnout among healthcare providers was associated with poorer-quality healthcare and reduced safety for patients. Moderators for the quality relationship included dimension of burnout, unit of analysis, and quality data source. Moderators for the relationship between burnout and safety were safety indicator type, population, and country. Rigor of the study was not a significant moderator. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to systematically, quantitatively analyze the links between healthcare provider burnout and healthcare quality and safety across disciplines. Provider burnout shows consistent negative relationships with perceived quality (including patient satisfaction), quality indicators, and perceptions of safety. Though the effects are small to medium, the findings highlight the importance of effective burnout interventions for healthcare providers. Moderator analyses suggest contextual factors to consider for future study

Load displacement behavior of the human Lumbo-sacral joint

The three-dimensional load displacement behavior of nine fresh adult L5-S1 spine motion segments was studied. Static test forces up to 160 N in anterior, posterior, and lateral shear, test forces up to 320 N in compression, and test moments up to 15.7 Nm in flexion, extension, lateral bending, and torsion were used. The six displacements of the center of the inferior L5 endplate were measured 15 and 60 s after the load was applied. Specimens were then retested after posterior element excision. The results show that at the maximum test force, intact specimen mean (sd) displacements ranged from 1.65 mm (0.63 mm) in lateral shear to 2.21 mm (0.87 mm) in posterior shear. Posterior element excision resulted in an average 1.66-fold increase in shear translations. At the maximum moment, rotations ranged from 3.38° (1.03°) in torsion to 7.19° (1.77°) in flexion. Posterior element excision resulted in an average 2.09-fold increase in bending rotations and a 2.74-fold increase in the average torsional rotation. In general, these L5-S1 joints were stiffer than more cranial lumbar segments in flexion, extension, and lateral bending and were less stiff in torsion tests.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50380/1/1100050404_ftp.pd