Application of Satellite Data and Lars\u27 Data Processing Techniques to Mapping Vegetation of the Dismal Swamp

This study concerned the feasibility of using digital satellite imagery and automatic data processing (ADP) techniques as a means of mapping swamp forest vegetation. Multispectral scanner data acquired by the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1; renamed LANDSAT-1) was analyzed using ADP techniques developed by Purdue University\u27s Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing (LARS). The site for this investigation was the Dismal Swamp, a 210,000 acre swamp forest located south of Suffolk, Va. on the Virginia-North Carolina border. Two basic classification strategies were employed in determining the vegetation mapping capability of ERTS-1 data. The initial classification utilized unsupervised techniques which produced a map of the swamp indicating the distribution of thirteen forest spectral classes. These classes were later combined into three informational categories: Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and deciduous forest. The subsequent classification employed supervised techniques which mapped Atlantic white cedar, Loblolly pine, deciduous forest, water and agriculture within the study site. A. classification accuracy of 82.5% was produced by unsupervised techniques compared with 89% accuracy using supervised techniques. Results attained suggest ERTS-1 data and ADP techniques can be successfully applied to mapping some types of swamp vegetation

Application of satellite data and LARS's data processing techniques to mapping vegetation of the Dismal Swamp

The feasibility of using digital satellite imagery and automatic data processing techniques as a means of mapping swamp forest vegetation was considered, using multispectral scanner data acquired by the LANDSAT-1 satellite. The site for this investigation was the Dismal Swamp, a 210,000 acre swamp forest located south of Suffolk, Va. on the Virginia-North Carolina border. Two basic classification strategies were employed. The initial classification utilized unsupervised techniques which produced a map of the swamp indicating the distribution of thirteen forest spectral classes. These classes were later combined into three informational categories: Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and deciduous forest. The subsequent classification employed supervised techniques which mapped Atlantic white cedar, Loblolly pine, deciduous forest, water and agriculture within the study site. A classification accuracy of 82.5% was produced by unsupervised techniques compared with 89% accuracy using supervised techniques

Design and Development of Medical Devices for Multifaceted Applications

The fields of biotechnology and biomedical sciences are rapidly evolving and involve the constant growth of knowledge. As a consequence, engineering design has to also remain at the cutting edge in order to not inhibit the growth of these fields. This study focuses on engineering design and analysis as it pertains to the field of biotechnology, at every step of the engineering process. More specifically, how the engineering design and analysis approach can assist in solving medical problems relating to bone diseases and biomaterials. The first part of the study focuses on a project to design and manufacture a novel exosome isolation device, with the primary purpose of creating an affordable and accessible method of isolating exosomes for the testing and diagnosis processes in the Biomaterials & Nanoscience laboratory. The second part of the study focuses on the design and analysis of biodegradable bone implants, before, during, and after implantation. Together, these projects aim to show the engineering processes of design and analysis and serve to provide insight as to how engineering principles can be applied to the medical field

The school counselor\u27s role with children of alcoholics

They can be found in every classroom of every school district in the United States. They are a special group of children considered to be a high-risk population. They have their own problems that can cause minor to severe psychological wounds. They are children of alcoholics (COA\u27s), and their lives are affected by alcoholism\u27s hidden curriculum (Gress, 1988, p. 18), which indicates that these students have a set of hidden problems that often go unnoticed and unserved. Because so many students are affected, schools are obligated to provide a special curriculum to meet the needs of this vast population

IU School of Medicine Correctional Medicine Student Outreach Project

Background: This project was founded on the basis that correctional medicine is an important component frequently missing from medical school curriculums. Opportunities to participate in medical care within correctional facilities, while concurrently engaging in discussions about the institutions that have contributed to disproportionate incarceration of certain populations and mass incarceration as a whole, will cultivate empathetic, socially-engaged, and passionate young physicians. This student organization was formed to facilitate clinical opportunities within correctional facilities and host events that focus on the broader socioeconomic and political context and forms of structural and cultural violence that have contributed to mass incarceration in the United States. Methods: The overall goal of this project is to send medical students into Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) facilities, or county jails, to work closely with the medical providers as they provide care to incarcerated individuals. In order to facilitate this goal, a relationship was fostered between IUSM and Dr. Kristen Dauss, the Chief Medical Officer of the IDOC. Upon completion and approval of the contract between Centurion, the IDOC medical provider, and IUSM, students will have opportunities to shadow providers at the Indiana Women’s Prison. This pilot location was chosen due to the unique opportunity it presents to learn about the medical needs of the incarcerated women and young children, as it is the only facility in the state with a mother-baby unit. Since its creation, IUCM has also hosted numerous virtual educational lectures, panels, and journal clubs in collaboration with other student organizations and scholars in the field of correctional health. Lastly, the organization encourages engagement with original research through the IMPRS program, in coordination with Niki Messmore, our faculty advisor. Conclusions: As physicians who will practice medicine in the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world, having a fundamental understanding of topics related to correctional health, adverse health experiences while incarcerated, and longstanding traumatic effects of incarceration is imperative. IUCM’s goal is to create introductory materials and share resources with medical students relating to the create introductory materials and share resources with medical students relating to the Powered by Qualtrics A socioeconomic and political context which has led to mass incarceration, the lived experiences of people who are incarcerated, and the deficits in care for currently and formerly incarcerated people. Developing a better understanding of the justice system as well as the emotional, mental, and physical impact incarceration has on patients, and will stimulate interest in engaging with these concepts through research, volunteer work, educational events, and in patient care. In the future, each campus will partner with local correctional facilities and community organizations. After accruing a critical mass of student involvement at educational events and within facilities, we will utilize surveys to study the impact of the project. Additionally, we hope to expand the project to include other healthcare professional programs, and involve other facilities statewide. Lastly, due to our belief that correctional health should be a component of the core curriculum, we are currently working with IUSM administration to create material for the FCP course related to these topics

Investigating the Role of Meal Quality and Food Look, Smell, and Taste on Perceived Health Improvement for Clients of Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana

Meals on Wheels organizations across the country have the common goal of ending hunger among the elderly, malnourished, and disabled population. Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana (MOWCI) primarily serves Marion County and the rest of the state through one of its programs. The organization offers daily hot and cold meals Monday through Friday, frozen meal deliveries, and pantry boxes. Minus the pantry boxes, meals are assembled at one of nine participating health corporations: Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health, IU Health- Methodist, Marquette, Franciscan Health, Ascension St. Vincent, and Westminster Village. MOWCI offers traditional or Medicaid subsidized hot and cold meals (for Marion County clients), Ryan’s Meals for Life (HIV/AIDS clients), and Embrace Cancer programs (low-income cancer treatment clients from Eskenazi). In this study, phone surveys were conducted investigating food quality and delivery satisfaction for daily hot and cold clients (n=149). Results were analyzed in Excel using a Chi-Square analysis of independence (alpha 0.05, 3 degrees of freedom). It was found that overall food quality and food smell, taste, and appearance were associated with perceived health improvements in a significantly significant manner with a p-value of 0.0000113 and 0.0198 respectively. There are 248 clients who as of July 7th have not been evaluated and thus, is still an active area of focus for MOWCI. A model has been created and shared with the organization that continues to allow them to collect data on future clients and input the data in order to determine what effect meals have on all of their client population as opposed to the 37.5% of clients that have been evaluated in this project. These efforts will be used in the future to aid in writing grants to allow for the expansion of current and future programs

IU School of Medicine Correctional Medicine Student Outreach Project

Background: This project was founded on the basis that correctional medicine is an important component frequently missing from medical education. Opportunities to participate in medical care within correctional facilities, while concurrently engaging in discussions about disproportionate incarceration of certain populations and mass incarceration as a whole, will cultivate empathetic, socially-engaged, and passionate young physicians. This student organization was formed to facilitate clinical opportunities within correctional facilities and host events that focus on the broader socioeconomic and political context and forms of structural and cultural violence that have contributed to mass incarceration in the United States. Methods: In order to facilitate organizational goals, a relationship was fostered between IUSM and Dr. Kristen Dauss, the Chief Medical Officer of the IDOC. Following affiliation agreements, students may now gain clinical exposure at any facility in the state. Since its creation, IUCM has hosted virtual educational lectures, panels, and journal clubs, in collaboration with other student organizations and scholars in the field. The organization encourages engagement with original research in coordination with faculty advisors. We have also worked with administration to incorporate correctional health topics officially into the curriculum. Conclusions: As physicians who will practice medicine in the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world, having a fundamental understanding of topics related to correctional health, adverse health experiences while incarcerated, and longstanding traumatic effects of incarceration is imperative. IUCM’s goal is to create introductory materials and share resources relating to the socioeconomic and political context which has led to mass incarceration and the deficits in care for currently and formerly incarcerated people. Developing a better understanding of the justice system as well as the emotional, mental, and physical impact incarceration has on patients, and will stimulate interest in engaging with these concepts through research, volunteer work, educational events, and in patient care

The Impact of a Lack of Diversity in Leadership Positions on Self-Perceptions and Views of Success in Latino/a/x Youth

BACKGROUND: The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) is a national organization that cares for diverse youths ages 6-18. At a national level, BGC states that a commitment to inclusion is a core value. This research explores the demographic makeup of BGC of Tippecanoe County’s staff/volunteer members and analyzes its impact on the Latino/a/x youth that attend the club. METHODS: A 2-part anonymous survey was developed and distributed to all active staff/volunteers that work at BGC of Tippecanoe County. Part 1 consisted of basic demographic questions. Part 2 of the survey had participants answer questions about their Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and an ACEs score was calculated from their responses. RESULTS: Data analysis found that 89% of employees identified as “White/European”. In addition, 100% of responses labeled “English” as their primary language. Data revealed that 94% of respondents listed their sexual orientation as “heterosexual”. 100% of the participants selected either “male” or “female” as their gender identity, showing no divergence from the “male/female” binary at the club. In the final two demographics questions from the survey, 56% of the respondents indicated that their childhood household had an income greater than $50,000 and another 56% stated that they had an education level at or below a high school diploma. POTENTIAL IMPACT/CONCLUSIONS: The demographic makeup of BGC of Tippecanoe County puts Latino/a/x youth at risk of struggling when developing their social-emotional and ethnic identities. The current staff/volunteer list does not put Latino/a/x youth in the best possible developmental environment for cultural appreciation and self-confidence. Several strategic diversity recommendations have been created and passed on to the organization. These aim to increase the engagement level and cultural appreciation of Latino/a/x culture to empower youth that identify with this group.This project was funded by AmeriCorps through the Hoosier Public Health Corps Program and supported by Boys and Girls Club of Tippecanoe County

Understanding the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Children at the Boys and Girls Club of Tippecanoe County, Indiana

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Children with multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be at greater risk for chronic health conditions. Providing Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) to children with ACEs has been linked to better downstream health outcomes. Out-of-school time (OST) programs, such as Boys and Girls Clubs (BGC), can play an important role in supporting children with ACEs. Currently, BGC of Tippecanoe County does not require staff or volunteers to participate in training on ACEs or TIC. This study aims to determine the number of ACEs that children at BGC experience, and subsequently if training for staff and volunteers should be required. METHODS: An anonymous survey was developed using a template from ACEs Aware. The survey included ten ACEs questions and nine Related Life Events questions (considered additional ACEs in this study). An optional demographics section was also included. Caregivers of children at BGC were asked to participate. Staff and volunteers were also surveyed regarding their history of training in TIC. RESULTS: A total of 64 surveys were distributed to parents and 52 were completed (81.3% response rate). Of the completed surveys, the mean number of ACEs experienced per child was 4.6, the median was 3, and the mode was 2. The maximum number of ACEs experienced by a child was 14. Fifty percent of the staff and volunteers surveyed (n = 18) had no formal TIC training. Further data analysis is still in progress. CONCLUSION AND POTENTIAL IMPACT: Children who attend BGC may experience on average a higher number of ACEs than the general population. Requiring training on ACEs and TIC for staff and volunteers may help better identify and respond to child behaviors linked to ACEs. Helping children feel safe and empowered through TIC provided at OST programs may have a positive impact on their physical and social health.This project was made possible by AmeriCorps and the IUSM AmeriCorps program, Hoosier Public Health Corps, and supported by the Boys and Girls Club of Tippecanoe County