A comparison of scores of kindergarten children and nonkindergarten children in specific background abilities at first grade entrance

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Time-Clamped, RPE-Matched Treadmill Activity and Interactive Video Game Dancing Differ in Step Count But Not Heart Rate Response

Background: Participation in regular moderate or vigorous physical activity (MVPA) results in numerous health benefits. Task enjoyment is a known antecedent and promoter of regular activity engagement. Participation in interactive video gaming has increased in recent years. Purpose: The aims of the present investigation were to: 1) determine heart rate (HR) and step count outcomes of time-clamped and RPE-matched interactive video game dancing (VGD) and treadmill activity; 2) characterize the suitability of VGD to achieve MVPA designation; and, 3) investigate step count outcomes recorded by pedometry and accelerometry. Methods: Subjects underwent three testing sessions with the latter two randomized. During the familiarization visit, the perceived exertion (Borg RPE) of an interactive VGD activity was determined and a treadmill speed that resulted in an RPE-matched exertion level was identified through incremental increases in treadmill speed. On subsequent visits, subjects completed 15 minutes of VGD or RPE-matched treadmill activity. HR and step count were measured during both sessions. Results: Nine participants (Age 19.8 ± 1.6; 5 males; 4 females) volunteered. With time-clamped and RPE-matched, the average HR for dancing 154.7 (± 21.8) and treadmill activity 157.8 (± 25.1) were not different (p = 0.698). The selected dances for the VGD activity resulted in 8/9 subjects exercising at MVPA intensity according to percent of predicted maximal HR (threshold of 64% maximal HR; equation: 207 – 0.7*Age). Steps completed during dancing and treadmill activity according to pedometry were 1510 (± 488) and 2066 (± 247), respectively, with the difference being significant (p = 0.001). Steps completed during dancing and the treadmill activity according to accelerometry were 988 (± 256) and 1938 (± 119), respectively, with the difference again significant (p \u3c 0.001). The within-mode, between-device step count (pedometer vs. accelerometer, respectively) were also of interest. For dancing, a significant difference (p \u3c 0.001) was noted as 1510 (± 488) vs. 988 (± 256) steps. For treadmill activity, the disparity between 2066 (± 247) vs. 1938 (± 119) was also different (p = 0.042). Discussion: The HR response of a VGD activity was not different than a time-clamped, RPE-matched treadmill activity. Furthermore, VGD achieved designation as MVPA intensity in 8/9 subjects with the lone subject failing to achieve moderate designation by a single beat. Of note, objectively determined step count varied by mode and measuring device illustrating the need to employee prudency when selecting measuring technique for step count during rhythmic vs. non-rhythmic PA

Triple Helix, Fall 2018

Table of Contents: Science Agenda: The Politics of Grant Writing / by Kavya Rajesh (p. 4) -- From the Experts / by Katherine Bruner (p. 5) -- 3D Printed Drugs: The Future of Pharmaceuticals / by Ethan Wang (p. 6) -- Computerized Markets: Wall Street Takeover / by James Kiraly (p. 10) -- The Evolution of Fear / by Alisha Ahmed (p. 14) -- ADDing Up / by Victor Liaw (p. 18) -- The Clone Wars / by Jina Zhou (p. 22) -- Physician-Assisted Suicide: Drawing the Line / by Haley Wolf (p. 26) -- Supervised Injection Sites / by Alex Gajewski (p. 30) -- On Emerging Medicalization and Health Care / by Patrick Lee (p. 33) -- The Future of Human Gene Modifications / by Elizabeth Robinson (p. 36)College of Natural SciencesUT LibrariesLiberal Art

The Impact of a Sensory Garden Intervention for Individuals with Dementia

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of sensory gardens on agitation and quality of life for people with dementia. The sensory garden consisted of plants that stimulated all the senses. Four people diagnosed with dementia residing in assisted living participated in the multiple treatment single-subject design (A1-B-BC-A2) study. Baseline phase A1 lasted two-weeks, intervention B and BC were four-weeks each, and return to baseline A2 was two-weeks, for a total of 12 weeks. Intervention B was an indoor sensory garden and intervention BC was an approximated outside sensory garden. Data revealed positive trends following the sensory garden interventions on decreasing agitation and improving quality of life. Intervention B worked best for two participants and intervention BC for the remaining two participants. Applications to recreational therapy practice are provided

Promoting Continuous Learning and Organizational Improvement Through Role Based Evaluation Capacity Building

Nonprofit organizations, like expanded learning programs, are hungry to engage in evaluation to improve their services to make the greatest impact. To bring this dream to life, individuals in the organization must develop the skills necessary to engage in evaluation and use findings as part of evaluation capacity building (ECB) efforts. The ECB literature has provided several models and tools to support organizations’ quest to engage in evaluation and use finding sustainably; however, these strategies are often hindered when organizations have limited time, resources, and capacity. These barriers have been well documented in expanded learning programs (Block, 2021; Bradshaw, 2015; Chávez, 2021). Roles of individuals, like other contexts, are noted as key considerations in ECB theories and models because understanding and adapting to context is key to the approach to building evaluation capacity effectively (Cousins et al., 2014; Labin et al., 2012; Preskill & Boyle, 2008; Taylor-Powell & Boyd, 2008). When considering roles and ECB, Taylor-Powell and Boyd (2008) note that not all staff must become evaluation experts; however, it should be a part of everyone’s job in the organization. Additionally, professional development opportunities should be customized to the learner (i.e., knowledge, motivations, responsibilities) (Taylor-Powell & Boyd, 2008). The emphasis on tailoring ECB to roles and responsibilities provides a promising strategy for contexts experiencing limited resources and capacity is ripe for further exploration. The present mixed methods study examined how considering roles and responsibilities when building capacity could support organizations with limited time and resources in the expanded learning context. The first research question aimed to understand the value of roles and responsibilities in ECB through the lens of evaluators. The second research question examined how the competencies of expanded learning professionals in different roles could be translated into competencies related to evaluation. Expanded learning professionals refers to staff who work for youth serving multipurpose programs that typically include components like homework help, educational enrichment (e.g., arts, STEM), and physical activities before school, after school, or during non-instructional days like summer break (McCombs et al., 2017). This includes staff who work directly with youth, supervisors, and leaders within expanded learning programs. The final research question assessed the extent to which key precursors to engaging in ECB (e.g., attitudes, motivations) varied by role in the expanded learning sector to provide a deeper analysis of what considering roles may entail. Data collection was conducted with both evaluation and expanded learning professionals (i.e., surveys and interviews for both samples) in two concurrent phases. One phase focused on the perspective of evaluation professionals and the other phase focused on the perspective of expanded learning professionals. There were 292 participants in a survey of evaluation professionals and 32 participants completed follow-up interviews. There were 446 participants in a survey of expanded learning professionals and 12 participants completed follow-up interviews. Findings from surveys and interviews confirmed that it is valuable to consider roles and different roles in expanded learning are better suited to engaging in specific aspects of evaluation (e.g., staff working directly with students best suited to collect data). Several strategies emerged to support role consideration in any context. This includes strategies around understanding roles and responsibilities, providing professional development opportunities, and building sustainable infrastructure (e.g., integrating evaluation responsibilities in the job description). The empirical development of this strategy clarified benefits, perceived challenges, enablers of success, and strategies that could be used to build evaluation capacity effectively in organizations with limited resources and capacity. Overall, this study provides recommendations to foster the development of evaluation capacity building in more organizations. If more organizations can engage in evaluation and use findings, more organizations will make a greater positive impact on society

An electrophysiological study in the rat on the role of central and peripheral mediators in prolonged nociception

This in vivo pharmacological study has used electrophysiological techniques to investigate the mechanisms and control of prolonged nociception. Formalin injection into the receptive field was used as a prolonged stimulus and the activity of nociceptive neurones located within the spinal cord was recorded in the halothane anaesthetized intact rat. Acute electrically evoked activity of these neurones resulting from both A and C fibre inputs was used as a comparison. The response of dorsal horn neurones to formalin was biphasic and lasted about 60 minutes. The first peak firing began immediately following injection of the formalin and lasted for about 5 minutes. Following a period of inactivity the neurone once again started firing, usually about 25 minutes following the formalin administration and this second peak persisted for approximately 35-40 minutes. This profile of activity is very similar to the pain related behaviour observed in conscious animals following formalin administration. Correlations were sought between the electrically evoked properties of the neurones and their responses to formalin. Intravenous and intrathecal administration of mu opioids inhibited both peaks of the formalin response. Using peripheral and intrathecal administration of bradykinin and selective B1 and B2 receptor antagonists, evidence was provided for a role of the bradykinin B2 receptor in the peripheral generation of the second peak of the response. The role of excitatory amino acids within the spinal cord was investigated. The non-selective antagonist γ-D-glutamyl glycine (DOG) reduced both the electrically evoked A and C fibre responses and both peaks of the formalin response. Selective antagonists at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, 5-DL-amino phosphonovaleric acid (AP5), ketamine and MK801 were administered intrathecally and intravenously. Ketamine reduced the 'wind up' of the neurones (the frequency dependent potentiation of dorsal horn neurone responses to repetitive C fibre stimulation) and all the compounds selectively reduced the second peak of the formalin response with little effect on the first peak. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in both bradykinin and NMDA mediated events. An inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis administered into the receptive field and intrathecally reduced both peaks of the formalin response whilst systemic administration resulted in a selective inhibition of the second peak. However, intrathecal administration of the NO precursor L-arginine unexpectedly reduced both the electrically evoked A and C fibre responses and both peaks of the formalin response. Although these results are suggestive of a role for NO in both peripheral and spinal mediation of nociceptive events, the high doses required, route dependent effects and contradictory result with L-arginine suggest the involvement of this molecule is complex. Whilst administration of selective mu and delta opioid agonists into the receptive field had no effect on either peak of the formalin response, a selective kappa opioid agonist inhibited both peaks of the formalin response whilst having no effect on the acute electrically evoked A or C fibre responses. Thus the peripheral generation of the formalin response involves the actions bradykinin, via the B2 receptor, during the second phase and this may also involve the generation of nitric oxide. The afferent input is mediated within the spinal cord by excitatory amino acids acting at non-NMDA receptors during the first peak of the response, but during the prolonged activity of the second peak NMDA receptor involvement becomes important as well. It is possible that the NMDA receptor may be responsible for amplifying the response. This formalin evoked activity within the spinal cord may also involve nitric oxide. The formalin response can be modulated by opioids acting at the spinal level and at the peripheral level where only the kappa receptor appears to be effective. These results indicate some of the mechanisms involved in the generation and transmission of prolonged nociception and may provide future directions for the development of novel analgesics

Impacts of viral infection by Ma-LMM01 on microcystin production by Microcystis aeruginosa

Increasing global temperatures and nutrient availability from anthropogenic sources have contributed to climate change and pollution in waterways. Environmental changes have promoted annual harmful algal blooms (HABs), which have the potential to lead to conditions that negatively affect aquatic ecosystems and organisms that depend on them. HABs can impact water quality through the release of soluble toxins (e.g., microcystin), produced by cyanobacteria that can bypass standard drinking water processing protocols. It has been suggested that viral infections of cyanobacteria may contribute to increased production and release of microcystins. In this project, two hypotheses were assessed: 1) virus-mediated lysis releases toxins from a filterable intracellular form within Microcystis aeruginosa cells to an extracellular soluble toxin, and 2) viral infection induces a greater accumulation of intracellular toxins when compared to the non-infected controls. To evaluate these hypotheses, laboratory cultures of M. aeruginosa NIES 298 were infected with cyanophage Ma-LMM01, and levels of microcystins were quantified using ADDA-ELISA. An additional analysis included water sampling for viral abundance and microcystin concentration in Ford Lake, Ypsilanti MI. ADDA-assay revealed that viral infection of M. aeruginosa is correlated with higher accumulations of extracellular and intracellular microcystins. This research contributes to an understanding of the impacts of phagehost interactions on microcystin production and release into the environment

An Evaluation of the Utility of Reading Curriculum-Based Measurement as Progress Monitoring Tools and Predictors of Comprehension

Many American students struggle with reading, particularly in the area of comprehension. As such, early identification of reading difficulties, use of evidenced-based interventions, and monitoring of student reading progress over time is essential. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a technically adequate, efficient tool whose features and design make it a good candidate for early identification and progress monitoring purposes, especially within a response to intervention framework. However, there is still some uncertainty regarding the utility of reading CBM as progress monitoring tools. Specifically, the literature has suggested that variability in the difficulty of CBM materials may influence how well these tools measure student growth over time. The present study aimed to reduce CBM variability by using field-testing and rank-ordering of performance means to create two equivalent second-grade reading CBM passage sets. These sets were derived from larger pools of extant, commercially-available passage sets. One passage set included oral reading fluency and story recall tasks. The second passage set was comprised of Maze tasks. These passage sets were then used to monitor progress in second-grade students who were at-risk for reading problems. Scores from each type of task were also used to determine which was the best predictor of student performance in reading comprehension. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze student growth on CBM measures, as well as predict reading comprehension. Results indicated that only Maze tasks were sensitive to individual student growth over the study, and were the strongest predictors of reading comprehension in this sample compared to oral reading fluency and recall. Implications, limitations, and future directions are also discussed

Hindsight

“Time travel is theoretically impossible, but I wouldn\u27t want to give it up as a plot gimmick.”—Isaac Asimov “Of all the concepts in Speculative Fiction, Time Travel is probably the one that, over time, has provided us with the most possibilities for storytelling, and therefore the one that has been (clocked as having been) exploited the most.”—TVtropes.org Hindsight is a one-hour long show with an eight-episode arc per season. It is a story of authenticity and gimmicks, privilege and disadvantage, mediocrity and exceptionalism. These are all pretty big concepts, and yeah, we look at them on a macrocosmic scale, but the main focus is on the microcosmic: the real story is about Tallulah Alford, a millennial who’s been working at the same dead-end job for ten years, in the same dead-end city that she grew up in. One day Tallulah discovers that time travel exists. Tallulah’s not the type of person who should be using a time machine