Differentiating between healthy control participants and those with mild cognitive impairment using volumetric MRI data

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether volumetric measures of the hippocampus or entorhinal cortex in combination with other cortical measures can differentiate between cognitively normal individuals and participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquired from 46 cognitively normal participants and 50 participants with amnestic MCI as part of the Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center research registry and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were used in this cross-sectional study. Cortical and subcortical volumes, including hippocampal subfield volumes, were automatically generated from each participant’s structural MRI data using FreeSurfer v6.0. Nominal logistic regression models containing these variables were used to evaluate their ability to identify participants with MCI. RESULTS: A model containing 11 regions of interest (insula, superior parietal cortex, rostral middle frontal cortex, middle temporal cortex, pars opercularis, paracentral lobule, whole hippocampus, subiculum, superior temporal cortex, precentral cortex and caudal anterior cingulate cortex) fit the data best (R2 = 0.7710, whole model test chi square = 102.4794, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Volumetric measures acquired from MRI were able to correctly identify most healthy control subjects and those with amnestic MCI using measures of selected medial temporal lobe structures in combination with those from other cortical areas yielding an overall classification of 95.83% for this dataset. These findings support the notion that while clinical features of amnestic MCI may reflect medial temporal atrophy, differences that can be used to distinguish between these two populations are present elsewhere in the brain. This finding further affirming that atrophy can be identified before clinical features are expressed. Additional studies are needed to assess how well other imaging modalities, such as resting state functional connectivity, diffusion imaging, and amyloid and tau position emission tomography (PET), perform in classifying participants who are cognitively normal versus those who are amnestic MCI

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Laying the foundation for pregnancy physical activity profiling: A framework for providing tailored physical Activity advice and guidance to pregnant women

The aim of this study was to examine the predictive utility of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in explaining pregnant women's physical activity (PA) intentions and behaviour and to scrutinise the role of past behaviour within this context. Pregnant women ( = 89) completed the pregnancy physical activity questionnaire (PPAQ) and newly developed TPB questionnaire on two separate occasions during their pregnancy. Analyses were carried out in relation to three scenarios. Firstly, when considering the original TPB, intention emerged as the strongest determinant of pregnant women's PA behaviour. Secondly, controlling for past behaviour attenuated the influence of intention and perceived behavioural control on behaviour, with neither of the original variables providing a unique influence. Finally, the addition of past behaviour added significantly to the prediction of intention with the model as a whole, explaining 85% of the variance in pregnant women's PA intention, and with past behaviour uniquely contributing 44.8% of the variance. Pregnancy physical activity profiling based on intention and behaviour status is subsequently introduced as a novel and practical framework. This provides healthcare professionals with the opportunity and structure to provide tailored advice and guidance to pregnant women, thereby facilitating engagement with PA throughout motherhood

The Wisconsin Hmong Resettlement Taskforce: An Ethnographic Analysis of Public Policy as a Cultural Process and Product

This thesis focuses on the Governor of Wisconsin’s Hmong Resettlement Taskforce that was charged in 2004 with making policy recommendations for the State about a large resettlement of Hmong refugees. Through participant-observation, interviews, and document analysis, the process of policy formation by the Taskforce is examined. This empirical, ethnographic study depicts this taskforce as a group of cultural agents and its work as a cultural process. Findings in this thesis center on the taskforce report and the constraints on the narrative that limited possible recommendations

The evolution of basic physical geography, 1892-1967 : an analysis of American physical geography textbooks

The emergence of geography in public school curriculum in the late nineteenth century was followed by the publication of numerous physical geography textbooks, especially by physiographers. These texts reflected the physiography and causation paradigm of the time. A majority of material was devoted to geomorphology, though some texts included discussopm that attempted to relate physiography to the human dimension of geography. By the early 1920s, however, the physical component of geography was in decline. In the two decades prior to 1936, no new tests in physical geography were published and no revised editions appeared after 1926. Elements of Geography, authered by Finch and Trewartha and published in 1936, marked the end of the earlier era of texts on basic physical geography and the begining of a new era that still persists

Educational campaign to support pregnant women and new mothers in enjoying and benefiting from an active lifestyle. Insight report.

Recent research has shown that pregnant women who were physically active at the time of their booking appointment with a midwife (8-12 weeks) were most likely to initiate further discussion about maintaining their physical activity, however, it has also been found that there is a lack of consistent and clear information pertaining to physical activity messages with many health professionals either providing no such information or giving inappropriate guidance to women of childbearing age. A lack of training, knowledge, and resources regarding physical activity have resulted in healthcare professionals relying on common sense and their own experience to advise and guide pregnant women and new mothers. In turn, this often results in pregnant women and new mothers turning to informal sources, such as the internet, for guidance. In response, this project aims to develop a toolkit to support the delivery of consistent and clear messages regarding physical activity by healthcare professionals (in line with current guidance), as well as helping to stimulate engagement with physical activity in our target audiences. Through increasing the confidence, skills, and knowledge of healthcare professionals, it is expected that pregnant women and new mothers will be empowered to make informed physical activity choices throughout pregnancy and beyond. This report brings together the insights from the scoping activities carried out to facilitate the development of an educational campaign to support pregnant women and new mothers in enjoying and benefiting from an active lifestyle. The report provides an overview of the key themes that became apparent and conclude with points for discussion and next steps in the project delivery

Spiritual Attitudes and Values in Young Children

Research has shown that spirituality is an important function of a child’s social, emotional, and personal development. Nevertheless, minimal research exists on spiritual attitudes and values in young children. This study examined children’s development and spirituality using a modified version of the Attitudes and Values Questionnaire (AVQ). The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) developed the AVQ with the dimensions of Conscience, Compassion, Social Growth, Emotional Growth, Service to Others, Commitment to God, and Commitment to Jesus. Commitment to God and Commitment to Jesus were optional dimensions later added by ACER to focus specifically on Christian principles. Following permission from ACER to adapt the AVQ for younger children, the questionnaire was modified using the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scale to allow for better question comprehension among the young participants, ages 5–14. Researchers contacted family members and various Christian schools in their home states across the eastern United States and asked if they would be willing to administer the modified AVQ to their students. The intention was to expand upon knowledge about young children’s attitudes and values related to Christian spirituality. Specifically, the researchers were trying to find if there may be relationships among children’s view of self, view of others, and spirituality. Correlations were run in order to determine if different dimensions, particularly the social growth dimensions and the Christian dimensions, were significantly related. A correlation chart compared all variables and the results indicated that there were strong correlations among the dimensions

Recommending swimming to people with low back pain: a scoping review

Background It is common practice for health professionals to recommend swimming to people with low back pain (LBP) despite limited evidence. The aim of this review was to gain an understanding of the current evidence base supporting the recommendation of swimming to people with LBP. Methods A scoping review was conducted searching five electronic databases, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PEDro, PubMed, and SPORTdiscus using the keywords back pain AND swim*. The studies were grouped by study design and the following uncertainties were considered; the impact of swimming on the spine and LBP, evidence of swimming increasing or reducing the risk of LBP and the use of swimming in LBP rehabilitation programmes. Results 25 studies met the eligibility criteria; including sixteen observational studies exploring the relationship between swimming and LBP, three biomechanical studies investigating the impact of swimming on the spine, and five interventional studies of which four which integrated swimming into a rehabilitation programme and one used swimming to modify lumbar lordosis. Conclusion The review confirmed there is limited research and only low-level evidence to support the recommendation of swimming to people with LBP. Observational studies make up the greater proportion of research undertaken in the field; the data indicates that swimming is a low-risk form of exercise but not without risk. The findings from biomechanical research suggest that lumbar lordosis does not increase excessively when swimming breaststroke, but certain swimming techniques could negatively impact LBP and interventional trials illustrate that there are various ways to integrate swimming into a rehabilitation programme