Biodive

Humans exist among an intertwined series of ecosystems and environments. As a species, we curate the spaces, these environments, that surround us to suit our internalized visions of the world. While such curation is not inherently negative, humanity’s industrial process of constructing our visions is not always handled with sustainable methods. This paper analyzes my creative work through the framework of architecture’s role in climate change and human impact, highlighting past and present building practices. Solutions for future practices will also be considered, specifically targeting the questions of construction material, building function, and repurposing of older buildings to achieve a net zero and energy positive future. Within my artistic work, I craft installations and sculptural pieces inspired by architecture and humanity’s conflict with nature to translate my research into an accessible, three-dimensional format. This work culminates into my thesis exhibition, Biodive, comprised of both installation and sculptural works inspired by architectural frames, constructed from manmade and organic materials. My thesis exhibition draws inspiration from biomimicry, bioutilization, and biomorphism while addressing the planet’s current environmental situation. If the climate-related warning signs from our planet are not heeded, and our practices remain unchanged, then the consequences of our actions will become irreversible and projected solutions will not be enough to save our species

Veteran Suicide Risk Reduction Through Targeted Dissemination Of An Easy To Use Risk Screening Instrument

On August 3, 2016, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Suicide Prevention published the most comprehensive analysis of Veteran suicide in the nation’s history. The Office of Suicide Prevention examined more than 55 million Veteran healthcare records from 1979 to 2014 from all 50 states and four territories (Office of Suicide Prevention, 2016). The study results found that although Veterans account for only 8.5% of the U.S. adult population, they are responsible for 18.5% of all U.S. suicides (Office of Suicide Prevention, 2016). After adjusting for differences in age and gender, the risk for suicide was 21% higher in the Veteran population than their civilian peers (Office of Suicide Prevention, 2016). Substantial decreases in suicide rates have been achieved within the patient populations of veteran, military, and civilian healthcare organizations following targeted dissemination of an easy to use suicide risk screening instrument. An evidence-based tool currently exists which is effective not only as a predictor of suicide risk but also is preventative when appropriately disseminated. A community health nursing initiative can reduce suicide rates for those Veterans who do not have access to mental health services through dissemination of this tool in a targeted fashion in partnership with a Veterans service organization

An Examination of Organizational Influences on Coach Decision Making

Sport coaching occurs in an ambiguous, complex, and dynamic environment bounded by rules, structures, and traditions unique to the context in which it occurs (ICCE et al., 2013; Jones & Wallace, 2005; Nash & Collins, 2006). Coaching is therefore not only pedagogical in nature but also features social and political elements (Abraham & Collins, 2011) focused on athlete development within a specific social and organizational context (ICCE et al., 2013). At the heart of this coaching practice is a constant process of decision-making (Abraham et al., 2006; Lyle & Vergeer, 2013; Vergeer & Lyle, 2009). However, research on the decision-making processes that focus on holistic athlete and program development (i.e. those that occur out of action), is absent from the literature. The Mosier and Fischer (2010) human factors decision framework, which highlights that influences on real-world decisions can come from one of five areas: the organization, available technology, the decision-making team, the task environment, and the individual, was adopted as the theoretical framework for the present study. The researcher targeted two primary research questions: what elements of the organizational environment influence the out-of-action decisions made by coaches? and, how were these organizational elements influential in the course of making a difficult, out-of-action decision? Fourteen interscholastic head coaches from schools in the southeastern United States participated in semi-structured interviews. Following thematic analysis, four themes emerged: school environment, the decision-making team, administrators, and parents of athletes. These results support the influence of organizational elements as suggested by Mosier and Fischer while also extending the conceptual understanding of the impact of organizational influences on coach decision-making

Parameterized Machine Learning for High-Energy Physics

We investigate a new structure for machine learning classifiers applied to problems in high-energy physics by expanding the inputs to include not only measured features but also physics parameters. The physics parameters represent a smoothly varying learning task, and the resulting parameterized classifier can smoothly interpolate between them and replace sets of classifiers trained at individual values. This simplifies the training process and gives improved performance at intermediate values, even for complex problems requiring deep learning. Applications include tools parameterized in terms of theoretical model parameters, such as the mass of a particle, which allow for a single network to provide improved discrimination across a range of masses. This concept is simple to implement and allows for optimized interpolatable results.Comment: For submission to PR

Current Practices, Protocols, and Rationales of Diathermy Use by Occupational Therapists

The purpose of this study was to determine the patterns of use of diathermy by occupational therapists in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and its purported effectiveness. A survey was completed by 90 occupational therapists (response rate of 36%) who were members of the American Occupational Therapy Association, were listed in the practice area of SNF/long-term care (LTC) facility, and who had experience working in a SNF. Results showed that 54% of the participants had experience using diathermy in SNFs nationwide. The majority of participants with diathermy experience (94%) indicated that they typically implemented diathermy as a preparatory treatment before a functional activity and most participants (80%) administered diathermy for 16 to 30 minutes. The most common objectives when using diathermy were reducing pain (96%) and increasing range of motion (83%). The findings indicated that diathermy was being used for a wide range of diagnoses and symptoms, and that there were discrepancies in how and why occupational therapists administered diathermy in a SNF setting. Although occupational therapists with diathermy experience most frequently (48%) reported “usually” (i.e., 61-80% of the time) seeing a positive effect, many did not know the technicalities of administering diathermy, including the frequency (MHz) used (44%) and how the modality was reimbursed (11%). Additionally, there were conflicting results in diathermy being used for diagnoses and/or symptoms for which it is contraindicated. Due to a lack of research on diathermy use within occupational therapy literature, experimental studies to determine the effectiveness of diathermy would greatly benefit the field of occupational therapy in its effort to be an evidence-based practice

Interview with the Daughters of Marjorie Faucett Patterson

https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/scmotheroftheyear/1010/thumbnail.jp