An Examination of a Brownfield: The former North Las Vegas armory site

This thesis is a case study of the redevelopment project of the former Armory site in Las Vegas, Nevada, a United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Pilot Project. This investigation uses benefit-cost analysis to determine whether the project is economically feasible. This examination includes a description of the Brownfield program, a description of the site, selection criteria, and the proposed future use of it. The results show that the benefits exceed the costs

Incarcerated Mothers: What Role Does Communication Play in Successful Family and Community Reintegration?

The Incarcerated Mothers Project (TIFF--Transitioning Incarcerated Females & Families) is a four-tiered investigation into the subject of incarcerated mothers and how communication affects parental dynamics. The first tier of research included an earlier pilot study of 53 incarcerated mother. The second tier involved an experiment assessing the impact of exposure to a documentary narrative about the impact of a mother’s incarceration on her family; results showed significant knowledge gain and empathetic responses among general receivers. This summer, additional footage was added to the documentary, with instrumentation ready for a Fall 2014 data collection. Also this summer, progress was made on the third tier, which involved speaking with various experts and professionals in the field of incarceration and reintegration. These interviews established that both family and community support are vital preventatives toward preventing recidivism. The fourth tier of the project includes developing additional interview questions to continue the pilot study both with the established group of research subjects and extending that research pool for a more expansive data set. Data collected will be used to develop programs in communication, including family communication education modules video education modules for incarcerated and reintegrating populations.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2014/1011/thumbnail.jp

Symmetry of Resting Tone, Alignment, and Strength in the Pelvic Region

Background: Resting tone contributes substantially to postural alignment and stability of the spine. Muscles attached to the axial skeleton, specifically muscles crossing the SI joint such as the gluteal muscles and latissimus dorsi, could contribute to pain and dysfunction if significant differences in side-to-side resting tone exist. While studies have observed side-to-side differences in resting tone of the biceps brachii, no current studies have assessed resting tone differences across the SI joint. Methods and Measures: Data on resting tone, pelvic asymmetry, and strength were collected using the MyotonPRO myometer, PALM palpation meter, and a strength dynamometer respectively from 30 asymptomatic. Results: Normative data were collected for strength of the iliopsoas, rectus femoris, latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hamstrings, and hip adductors. The MyotonPRO tested for bilateral tone, elasticity, creep, stiffness, and relaxation of the same muscles. Measures of pelvic alignment for tilt (ranging from 2° to 17° of anteriorly) were collected as well as symmetry of PSIS, ASIS, and iliac crest height (ranging -3° to 3° of difference). Conclusions: Side-to-side differences in resting tone, elasticity, creep, stiffness, relaxation, strength, and pelvic symmetry were noted in asymptomatic participants for SI and low back pain. This data provides information to be used in future studies for: determining correlation among tone, alignment, strength, and dysfunction; identifying impairments associated with dysfunction and response to interventions; and guiding impairment-based treatment options

Participation in developing youth mental health services: ‘Cinderella Service’ to service re-design

Whilst there are pockets of excellence in the provision of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), many services fail to meet young people’s needs. Considering this, the current research aimed to ascertain perceptions of CAMHS provision in a rural county of the UK to inform re-design of youth mental health services. Design Methodology and Approach: The study comprised of two phases: phase one involved analysis of questionnaire data of youth views of CAMHS. Phase two involved analysis of the ‘Have Your Say’ event data which explored perceptions of CAMHS and future service re-design. Data were thematically analysed. Findings: Knowledge of the existence and purpose of CAMHS was variable. Participants wanted accessible information about services, rights, confidentiality and for this to be provided in multiple medias. Young people wanted staff that are easy to talk to, genuine, understanding and who value their insights. Participants wanted to be offered choice about appointments, location and timing. An ideal mental health service was described as a ‘one-stop-shop’ of co-locality and multi-agency collaboration. Young people clearly expressed a desire to influence the design and delivery of the radical re-design and to be embedded in its development. Practical Implications: The results highlighted multiple problems with CAMHS provision and provided a clear justification for the re-design of services. Originality/value: This was a novel approach demonstrating the importance, utility and power of effective participatory practices for informing the re-design of services

Battle of the Predictive Wavefront Controls: Comparing Data and Model-Driven Predictive Control for High Contrast Imaging

Ground-based high contrast exoplanet imaging requires state-of-the-art adaptive optics (AO) systems in order to detect extremely faint planets next to their brighter host stars. For such extreme AO systems (with high actuator count deformable mirrors over a small field of view), the lag time of the correction (which can impact our system by the amount the wavefront has changed by the time the system is able to apply the correction) which can be anywhere from ~1-5 milliseconds, can cause wavefront errors on spatial scales that lead to speckles at small angular separations from the central star in the final science image. One avenue for correcting these aberrations is predictive control, wherein previous wavefront information is used to predict the future state of the wavefront in one-system-lag's time, and this predicted state is applied as a correction with a deformable mirror. Here, we consider two methods for predictive control: data-driven prediction using empirical orthogonal functions and the physically-motivated predictive Fourier control. The performance and robustness of these methods have not previously been compared side-by-side. In this paper, we compare these predictors by applying them as post-facto methods to simulated atmospheres and on-sky telemetry, to investigate the circumstances in which their performance differs, including testing them under different wind speeds, C_n^2 profiles, and time lags. We also discuss future plans for testing both algorithms on the Santa Cruz Extreme AO Laboratory (SEAL) testbed

Examining organizational learning in schools: The role of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning

This study draws upon theory and methods from the field of organizational behavior to examine organizational learning (OL) in the context of a large urban U.S. school district. We build upon prior literature on OL from the field of organizational behavior to introduce and validate three subscales that assess key dimensions of organizational learning that build upon and extend prior education research: psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Data from 941 teachers across 60 schools in this urban district suggest that organizational learning is an underlying condition which is expressed by teacher perceptions of subfactors of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Implications for adopting the conceptual framework and methods employed in this research for studying organizational learning and school change are discussed

Telehealth and eHealth in Nurse Practitioner Training: Current Perspectives

Telehealth is becoming a vital process for providing access to cost-effective quality care to patients at a distance. As such, it is important for nurse practitioners, often the primary providers for rural and disadvantaged populations, to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to utilize telehealth technologies in practice. In reviewing the literature, very little information was found on programs that addressed nurse practitioner training in telehealth. This article provides an overview of both the topics and the techniques that have been utilized for training nurse practitioners and nurse practitioner students in the delivery of care utilizing telehealth. Specifically, this article focuses on topics including 1) defining telehealth, 2) telehealth etiquette, 3) interprofessional collaboration, 4) regulations, 5) reimbursement, 6) security/Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), 7) ethical practice in telehealth, and 8) satisfaction of patients and providers. A multimodal approach based on a review of the literature is presented for providing the training: 1) didactics, 2) simulations including standardized patient encounters, 3) practice immersions, and 4) telehealth projects. Studies found that training using the multimodal approach allowed the students to develop comfort, knowledge, and skills needed to embrace the utilization of telehealth in health care

Effects of Heat Acclimation and Acclimatisation on Maximal Aerobic Capacity Compared to Exercise Alone in Both Thermoneutral and Hot Environments: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

BackgroundHeat acclimation and acclimatisation (HA) is typically used to enhance tolerance to the heat, thereby improving performance. HA might also confer a positive adaptation to maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), although this has been historically debated and requires clarification via meta-analysis.Objectives(1) To meta-analyse all studies (with and without control groups) that have investigated the effect of HA on VO2max adaptation in thermoneutral or hot environments; (2) Conduct meta-regressions to establish the moderating effect of selected variables on VO2max adaptation following HA.MethodsA search was performed using various databases in May 2020. The studies were screened using search criteria for eligibility. Twenty-eight peer-reviewed articles were identified for inclusion across four separate meta-analyses: (1) Thermoneutral VO2max within-participants (pre-to-post HA); (2) Hot VO2max within-participants (pre-to-post HA); (3) Thermoneutral VO2max measurement; HA vs. control groups; (4) Hot VO2max measurement, HA vs. control groups. Meta-regressions were performed for each meta-analysis based on: isothermal vs. iso-intensity programmes, days of heat exposure, HA ambient temperature (°C), heat index, HA session duration (min), ambient thermal load (HA session x ambient temperature), mean mechanical intensity (W) and the post-HA testing period (days).ResultsThe meta-analysis of pre–post differences in thermoneutral VO2max demonstrated small-to-moderate improvements in VO2max (Hedges’ g = 0.42, 95% CI 0.24–0.59, P < 0.001), whereas moderate improvements were found for the equivalent analysis of hot VO2max changes (Hedges’ g = 0.63, 95% CI 0.26–1.00, P < 0.001), which were positively moderated by the number of days post-testing (P = 0.033, β = 0.172). Meta-analysis of control vs. HA thermoneutral VO2max demonstrated a small improvement in VO2max in HA compared to control (Hedges’ g = 0.30, 95% CI 0.06–0.54, P = 0.014) and this effect was larger for the equivalent hot VO2max analysis where a higher (moderate-to-large) improvement in VO2max was found (Hedges’ g = 0.75, 95% CI 0.22–1.27, P = 0.005), with the number of HA days (P = 0.018; β = 0.291) and the ambient temperature during HA (P = 0.003; β = 0.650) positively moderating this effect.ConclusionHA can enhance VO2max adaptation in thermoneutral or hot environments, with or without control group consideration, by at least a small and up to a moderate–large amount, with the larger improvements occurring in the heat. Ambient heat, number of induction days and post-testing days can explain some of the changes in hot VO2max adaptation