Dynamic muscle quality of the plantar flexors is impaired in claudicant patients with peripheral arterial disease and associated with poorer walking endurance

Objective Peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication (PAD-IC) negatively affects physical activity and function. There is evidence for plantarflexor muscle dysfunction and weakness; however, the extent to which this dysfunction can be attributed to reduced muscle size or quality, or both, is not yet known. This study investigated whether in vivo plantarflexor muscle quality during static and dynamic contractions is altered by PAD-IC and whether such changes are associated with impaired walking endurance according to initial and absolute claudication distances. Methods The study recruited 22 participants, consisting of 10 healthy controls and 12 claudicant patients with occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (seven unilateral and five bilateral). Muscle quality of the combined gastrocnemius muscles during static contractions was calculated by normalizing the estimated maximal potential muscle force to the physiological cross-sectional area of the lateral and medial gastrocnemius. Muscle quality during dynamic contractions of the combined plantarflexor muscles was calculated as the ratio of peak voluntary concentric plantarflexor power and the summed volume of lateral and medial gastrocnemius. Results Dynamic muscle quality was 24% lower in the claudicating-limb and asymptomatic-limb groups compared with controls (P = .017 and P = .023). The differences were most apparent at the highest contraction velocity (180°/s). Dynamic muscle quality was associated with reduced walking endurance (R = 0.689, P = .006 and R = 0.550, P = .042 for initial and absolute claudication distance, respectively). The claudicating-limb group demonstrated a trend toward reduced static muscle quality compared with controls (22%, P = .084). The relative contribution of the soleus muscle to plantarflexion maximum voluntary contraction was significantly higher in the claudicating-limb and asymptomatic-limb groups than in controls (P = .012 and P = .018). Conclusions The muscle strength of the plantarflexors in those with PAD-IC appears to be impaired at high contraction velocities. This may be explained by some reduction in gastrocnemii muscle quality and a greater reliance on the prominently type I-fibered soleus muscle. The reduced dynamic capability of the plantarflexor muscles was associated with disease severity and walking ability; therefore, efforts to improve plantarflexor power through dynamic exercise intervention are vital to maintain functional performance

Career pathways of New Zealand veterinary graduates : influences, experiences, and decisions : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

As local and international concern about a shortage of veterinarians grows, developing an understanding of veterinarians’ career pathways and the factors that influence their career decisions is of increasing importance. The aim of this research was to explore the patterns that exist among the career pathways of two cohorts of New Zealand veterinary graduates, 10- and 20-years post-graduation, and to identify the factors that had been influential in shaping their career trajectories. A mixed methods approach provided a means to develop a detailed understanding of veterinarians’ career pathways through integration of survey (n=109) and interview (n=25) data. Perceptions of why people cease veterinary work were documented alongside the lived career experiences of these two cohorts of Massey University veterinary graduates. Cohort members’ career pathways were varied. Most (83%) held a clinical veterinary role 10 years after graduation. However, after 20 years, fewer (57%) held clinical veterinary roles. Almost one-quarter of the 20-year cohort worked in non-veterinary roles, and a further 14% held non-clinical veterinary roles. Some aspects of career patterns differed between the men and women and between the two cohorts, but there were also similarities. Veterinarians’ career decisions were multifaceted, and six key themes were developed to describe the factors that influenced them. Considering the cohort members’ material, social, and cognitive work values provided a useful lens through which to explore how their work environments and personal characteristics and aspirations influenced their career decisions. Veterinarians’ workplace experiences and the degree of fit between their personal characteristics and aspirations, and the workplace environment, influenced their feelings towards their work and their state of wellbeing, which in turn influenced their career decisions. However, these factors alone were insufficient to fully describe the influences on veterinarians’ career decision-making. Opportunities, professional networks, and non-work factors also played a key role in shaping cohort members’ career trajectories. The findings of this research provide insight into the career patterns and decision-making of New Zealand veterinarians which will be useful for future workforce planning, and in developing initiatives to enhance veterinarians’ career fulfilment and retention within clinical practice and the New Zealand veterinary profession

When Teachers Get It Right: Voices of Black Girls’ Informal STEM Learning Experiences

This paper is a part of a larger research study exploring the STEM learning experiences of Black girls who participated in an informal STEM program – I AM STEM. Through the process of reflection and co-construction of counterstories, Black girls reclaimed authorship of their lives. They identified three major attributes of teachers who promoted their academic success and engagement in STEM learning as ones who (a) responded to their needs and built a community of learners, (b) interacted with their parents in a professional manner, and (c) encouraged them to think critically and creatively during the lessons. Excerpts of their counterstories regarding attributes of teachers who encouraged their STEM learning is presented to inform how teachers’ use of culturally relevant pedagogical practices can engage Black girls in STEM learning

Communication Within the Church: Characteristics of the Post-modern Church

In the modem church, all forms of communication are used together in order to create a truly meaningful, religious experience for both believers and non-believers in Christ. Communication and socialization in the form ofspirituality, dynamic leaders, small-group interaction, and a sense of community play an enormous role within the post-modem church and are vital on all levels in order to help people, both churched and unchurched, choose a church as their church home

goDesign Express 2011 Workshop

The goDesign Express 2011 Workshop was a design immersion workshop run by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Built Environment and Engineering Faculty during three weeks of 70-minute art class periods/sessions in August/September 2011 at Morayfield State High School, for 80 Grade 10 and 64 Grade 11 art students and two teachers, and October 2011 at Narangba Valley State High School for 60 Grade 10 and 30 Grade 11 art students and two teachers. Funded and administrated through QUT’s Widening Participation Program, which supports outreach activities to increase tertiary enrolments for under represented groups (such as low-SES, rural and indigenous students), the program utilised two activities from Day 1 of the highly successful 3-day goDesign Travelling Workshop Program for Regional Secondary Students (http://eprints.qut.edu.au/47747/). In contrast to this program, which was facilitated by two tertiary design educators, the goDesign Express 2011 Workshop was facilitated primarily by three tertiary interior design/architecture students, with assistance from a design educator. This action research study aimed to facilitate an awareness in young people, of the value of design thinking skills in generating strategies to solve local community challenges. It also aimed to investigate the value of collaboration between secondary school students and teachers, and tertiary design students and educators, in inspiring post-secondary pathways for school students, professional development for schoolteachers, and alternative career prospects and leadership skills for tertiary design students. During the workshop, secondary students and teachers explored, analysed and reimagined their local community through a series of scaffolded problem solving activities around the theme of ‘place’. Students worked individually and in groups designing graphics, fashion and products, and utilising sketching, making, communication, collaboration and presentation skills to improve their design process, while considering social, cultural and environmental opportunities for their local community. The workshop was mentioned in a news article in the local Caboolture Shire Herald newspaper

Megan Day, Brenna Arakelian, Emily King, Natalie Virgil

“Work it Women!” covers various topics surrounding women in the workplace. The zine begins with a note from the authors, followed by a brief history of women in the workplace. Throughout the entire zine, there are historic facts, examples of successful women in the specific topics presented in the zine, and an overall theme of theme encouragement. The goal with this zine is to educate the reader on what women in the workplace experience, but not to discourage the reader from wanting to be a successful woman.https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/spring_2023/1003/thumbnail.jp

Drivers of Pasture Growth in Perennial Ryegrass Pastures in Northern New Zealand Dairy Pastures

The critical importance of pasture production to New Zealand’s economic performance has been widely recognised. However, a number of critical issues have been identified that limit dairy industry growth, including sub-optimal pasture condition and poor pasture persistence. Dairy farm systems in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty provinces in the upper North Island of New Zealand are predominantly pasture-based, with a temperate climate and they represent around 30% of New Zealand’s total number of dairy farms (LIC and DairyNZ, 2012). This project was established to quantify pasture performance and identify factors that drive that performance. We established a network of on-farm trials where case studies of pasture renewal practices and outcomes were developed. Ten farms in each province were monitored for three consecutive years – four paddocks from each province are considered here

Greater Omaha Chamber: 2017 Diversity and Talent Inclusion Study Final Report

Description of Respondents: The primary objective of this project was to hear from Black YPs in Greater Omaha. The efforts to achieve an adequately sized sample of Black YPs was generally successful. Of the 675 useable respondents, their racial/ethnic identities were White/Caucasian (n=399, or 59%), Black/African American (n=181 or 27%) and Hispanic/Latino n=32 or 5%). Retention: Omaha has been successful in attracting YP’s – of the survey respondents, 48% moved to Greater Omaha from somewhere else and another 19% came back to Omaha after living elsewhere. Retention is a greater challenge, as 80% of the surveyed YPs would choose to live elsewhere. The retention challenge is even greater when broken out by race/ethnicity – 87% of Black YPs surveyed would choose to live elsewhere. Fortunately, there is an important difference between choosing to live elsewhere and actually moving elsewhere. When asked if respondents intend to be living in Omaha in the next five years, only 15% of YPs said no. More Black YPs do not intend to be living in Omaha in five years (23%). Sense of Community: Black young professionals think it is important to feel part of the community, yet on each of the six related questions, they feel less connected than other YPs:• Feeling connected to Omaha (44% vs. 62%); and • Greater Omaha helps me fulfill my needs (43% vs. 67%). Lived Environment: What are those community attributes that matter to YPs? We asked three sets of questions – economic, social and physical – on two dimensions, importance and satisfaction. On each of these dimensions, we found sizeable gaps in responses based on race/ethnicity, particularly on the dimension of satisfaction; Black young professionals are generally less satisfied than other YPs.• Economic Aspects: local job opportunities and cost of living were most important to respondents and the gaps in satisfaction, based on race/ethnicity, were most noticeable. Black YPs were noticeably from other YPs in the following areas: - Availability of job opportunities (59% vs 80%); - Average income (46% vs. 66%); - Range of industries (53% vs. 70%); and - Affordable housing (54% vs. 69%).• Physical Aspects: the most important finding had to do with public schools. While nearly all respondents rated public schools as important, only 36% of Black young professionals were satisfied with public schools in Great Omaha (compared to 58% of other YPs). Black YPs were also 5 less satisfied with the quality of trails/bike paths (46% vs. 55%) but more satisfied with the availability of public transportation (31% vs. 12%).• Social Aspects: the importance of neighborhood friendliness and feeling safe were rated high by all YPs. The importance of neighborhood diversity varied based on race/ethnicity: 92% of Black young professionals rated diversity important compared to 76% of other YPs. Black young professionals were consistently less satisfied with: - Local arts and music (51% vs. 75%);- Friendliness of neighbors (57% vs. 80%); - Recreational opportunities (46% vs. 61%); and - Diversity of local residents (33% vs. 46%). Workplace: In the workplace, similar disparities were found based on race/ethnicity. Several responses to questions are highlighted: • Black young professionals are: - More frequently feeling overqualified (36% vs. 24%), are - Less frequently satisfied with their salary based on education and experience (39% vs 55%), and are - Less frequently satisfied with their current position (64% vs. 78%). • Black young professionals are less confident they have an equal opportunity to be hired in Greater Omaha (49% vs. 76%) and are less confident they have an equal opportunity for promotion or advancement (43% vs. 67%). • Fewer Black young professionals reported having a professional mentor than did other YPs (57% vs. 70%). • On the positive side, many respondents were satisfied with opportunities for professional development and there were only modest differences based on race/ethnicity