Dorothy Smith and Knowing the World We Live In

The paper presents an account of the scholarly work of Canadian sociologist, feminist, theorist and activist, Dorothy E. Smith, leading up to her development of institutional ethnography as a sociology for people. Drawing on selected writings, the author discusses some of the major ideas, debates and practical influences that are part of Smith\u27s scholarly trajectory. The line of thinking that is illustrated is how her feminism was integral to her celebrated critique and re-writing of sociological method

Streamlined Study

Hair styles, furniture, cars, toys, trains, almost everything today is streamlined\u27 for utility with smooth simplicity, and we like the idea immensely. It\u27s so wonderfully practical that we find it profitable to adapt this design to everyday living

Impact Of Serial Point Prevalence Covid-19 Testing On Severe Disease Outcomes In Connecticut Nursing Home Residents

Introduction: COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by infection with the virus, SARS-CoV-2. Transmission of the virus can occur in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases making controlling the spread challenging. Point prevalence testing in long term care facilitates has been found to be a useful strategy in detecting cases and managing COVID-19 outbreaks. The impact of this control strategy on severe outcomes of disease in residents of these facilities has not been fully characterized.Methods: Active surveillance of COVID-19 in long term care facilities in Connecticut began in April 2020, with point prevalence surveys beginning in May 2020. Data was collected for 34 facilities from a statewide surveillance system and confirmed through Connecticut’s Electronic Disease Surveillance System. Data from April 2020 to December 2020 was analyzed to assess the association between point prevalence testing and severe outcomes. Results: Overall, there were 2,244 PCR positive residents in 34 facilities between April 2020 and December 2020. Of this group, 18.4 % were hospitalized and 25.9% died. Increasing age and hospitalization were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality (p\u3c0.001) while males had a significantly higher risk of hospitalization (p\u3c0.001). The number of point prevalence surveys conducted by a facility was not significantly associated with either the case fatality ratio or hospitalization rate within the facility. Conclusions: Understanding the benefits of point prevalence surveys in LTCFs is important when looking at the cost effectiveness of the survey and creating recommendations and policies. There was no association found between the number of point prevalence studies and severe disease outcomes of residents. Future studies could further investigate the association between the reason for testing a resident and severe disease outcomes

Methods of physical activity assessment in older adults

Introduction: This study examined the validity of several methods of physical activity assessment in older adults. The physical activity questionnaires (PAQs) used included two designed for use with older adults known as the Yale Physical Activity Survey (YPAS) and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and one designed for use in the general population, the 7 Day Physical Activity Recall (PAR). These PAQs along with one accelerometer, the ActiGraph GT1M (GT1M), were examined in comparison to the criterion method, the SenseWear Pro 3 Armband (SP3). Methods: Participants (n = 36; age = 69.7 ± 5.9 years) wore the SP3 and the GT1M for seven days . At the end of the seven days, participants completed the YPAS, PASE, and PAR. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to examine significant relationships. Paired samples t-tests and Bland-Altman plots investigated further differences between methods. Results: GT1M\u27s estimates of daily steps were not significantly correlated (r = .369) with SP3 assessment of daily steps. The ACT-F (r = .620) and ACT-C (r = .524) equations each demonstrated a significant (P\u3c0.01) correlation with SP3 estimates of physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE). Bland-Altman analysis indicated that the ACT-C underestimated PAEE by an average of 184 kcal/day. The PAR was the only one PAQ to demonstrate any significant associations with the SP3. These relationships include the PAR PAEE with SP3 PAEE (r = .464, P\u3c;0.05), SP3 total energy expenditure (TEE) (r = .556, P\u3c0.01), SP3 physical activity (PA) (r = .394, P\u3c0.05) and the PAR PA with SP3 PA (r = .376, P\u3c0.05). Bland-Altman plot assessments indicated that the PAR overestimated PAEE (1007 kcal/day) and PA (1294 min/week) more than either the PASE (PA = 324 min/week) or YPAS (PAEE = 476 kcal/week & PA = 230 min/week). The PAR also demonstrated a very strong systematic bias. Discussion: While the GT1M did not show a significant correlation between estimates of step count with the SP3, it correlated reasonably with other estimates from the SP3 and provided the closest estimates in comparison to the SP3. Thus, it is a reasonable choice when assessing PA in older adults, but may not always be practical due to its high initial cost. As for the PAQs, while the PAR demonstrated the highest correlations, it also demonstrated high systematic bias and PA estimates were the furthest from average SP3 estimates of all methods examined. While PASE and YPAS provided slightly more accurate estimates, their correlations were not significant in comparison to the SP3. Estimates with PAQs were more accurate in individuals with lower PA levels, however may still be useful when used in those with higher PA levels to determine PA patterns

Behind the Kitchen Door

Imagine planning meals for a family of several hundred. Think of the giant measuring pans and the mixing\u27 bowls. Many Iowa State College women are now receiving valuable experience to supplement their regular curriculum by helping to feed this large family

Passive coordination of hind limb joints through multi-joint muscles

PASSIVE COORDINATION OF HIND LIMB JOINTS THROUGH MULTI-JOINT MUSCLES Violet Campbell, Andrew Sawatsky, Walter Herzog Human Performance Lab, University of Calgary, Kinesiology Program, University of Calgary [email protected]   INTRODUCTION Studies in cats measuring muscle lengths using joint angles show a clear correlation between the movements at the hip, knee, and ankle joints [2]. This correlation could be explained to 70% by a covariance plane between the hip, knee, and ankle joint angles [1]. It has been suggested that the multi-joint muscles may be the origin of the passive limb mechanics [1,4]. EMG recordings show that during cat locomotion, activation of the muscles extending the knee occurs 30-70msec after the knee extension begins; thus the onset of knee extension seems to be controlled passively by the extensor muscles [3]. Furthermore, it has been said that muscles directly change joint angles [4]. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of multi-joint muscles on the passive joint alignment in the rabbit hind limb. We hypothesize that the hip, knee, and ankle joint angles in the rabbit hind limb are coordinated by passive forces and the passive joint alignment is controlled primarily by the multi-joint muscles. METHODS Five New Zealand white rabbit cadavers were used. The joints were marked with bone pins, and the condyles of the femur were held and the hip joint was passively moved through its range of motion while associated changes in knee and ankle joint angles were measured. Hind limb joint movements were recorded using high speed video. Individual video frames were then extracted and digitized manually to obtain the hip, knee and ankle joint angles. Variance was approximately ±5º for each of the joint angles in repeat trials of the same animal. The multi-joint muscles including the biceps femoris, rectus femoris, semitendinosus, plantaris, medial and lateral gastrocnemius, extensor digitorum longus and tensor fascia latae were selectively cut in three hind-limbs, and in a different order for each leg, to identify the contribution of each muscle to the passive coordination of the hind-limb joints.   RESULTS Before any muscles were cut 80-99% of the variability of the knee and ankle joint angles was explained by variations in the hip angle. As multi-joint muscles were cut sequentially the correlation between hip, knee, and ankle joint angles decreased, and was eventually completely lost (Figure 1).   Figure 1. Passive ankle angles (degrees) as a function of   hip angles throughout the entire flexion movement and analyzed every 5˚. The data are from three trials of one rabbit’s hind limb. Blue points (± 1SE) represent the intact leg, orange represents the medial and lateral gastrocnemius removed, and the pink points represent the plantaris was removed in addition to the two heads of the gastrocnemius. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Removal of selected two joint muscles changed the relationship between passive hip and knee and between passive hip and ankle angles. For example, when removing the gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles, hip motion did not result in any change in the ankle angle, illustrating that all passive force transmission between the two joints hinges crucially on the two-joint triceps surae muscles (Figure 1). In order to identify the precise contribution of each two-joint muscle to passive force transmission across the rabbit hind limb, multiple experiments with different order of cutting the muscles would have to be implemented. Such an extensive experiment was not possible within the framework of this summer. REFERENCES Bosco, et al.  J Neurophysiol. 76:715-726, 1996.Goslow  et al.  J Morphol. 141:1-42, 1973.Miller et al. Brain Res. 91:217-237, 1975. Shen & Poppele J Neurophysiol. 74:2266-2280, 1995

How selected personality factors affect the relationships between marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and infidelity

Although research has illuminated some differences between those who engage in sexual behavior outside of their marriage and those who do not, there is a lack of attention in the literature to complex interactions among variables in their relationships to infidelity. There is evidence that marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and personality are all related to infidelity but research has failed to investigate how personality may influence these other two variables in their relationship to infidelity. Thus, the proposed study explored possible effects that selected personality factors have on the relationships between marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and infidelity. The results revealed that decreased marital satisfaction and decreased sexual satisfaction were both associated with an increased likelihood of infidelity. Of the personality factors privateness, rule-consciousness, and sensitivity, none were directly associated with infidelity. However, privateness and rule-consciousness both were found to be moderators of the relationships between sexual satisfaction, marital satisfaction, and infidelity