Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid groups – delivering cognitive stimulation with technology

INTRODUCTION: Group-based cognitive stimulation is the only nonpharmacological intervention recommended by the UK National Institute for Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE) for people with dementia. The potential of technology to extend the availability of group-based cognitive stimulation has not been tested. METHOD: One hundred and sixty-one people with dementia participated in an 8-session group activity using Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA). Cognition, quality of life and general health were assessed pre-, post- and three-months later. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in cognition and quality of life at the end of the CIRCA group intervention, which was further improved at three-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: CIRCA group sessions improved cognition and quality of life similar to group-base cognitive stimulation approved by NICE. These benefits were maintained at three-month follow-up. The data confirm the potential of CIRCA, which can be populated with different cultural and language contents for different user groups

Mortality of American Troops in Iraq

Counts of military deaths in Iraq are well publicized, but deaths alone do not indicate the risk for an individual. In order to assess the extent of individual risk, the number of deaths must be compared to the number of individuals exposed to the risk of death. These risks may vary from person to person depending on such factors as one’s branch of service, rank, age, sex, race and ethnicity. In this paper, we construct death rates for members of the military who have been deployed to Iraq. Two excellent and highly consistent websites, one of them maintained by the Department of Defense, provide data on deaths that have been incurred in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Data on the number and characteristics of troops deployed in Iraq (the denominators of death rates) were provided by the Department of Defense on their website, with supplementary tabulations supplied by the Defense Manpower Data Center (2006). [1]. The data permit an examination of how death risks among members of the military deployed to Iraq vary according to certain personal characteristics and aspects of armed service. Some of these differences mimic those in society at large, while others reflect the unique conditions of military service

Design and Manufacturing of the Carbon Fiber Roll Table

Backpacking and exploration of the great outdoors has surged in popularity in the 21st century, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic called for many to change their hobbies and interests. Additionally, many people explore new, remote locations as a way of breaking free from the chains of addiction to media and reliance on technology. Our team experienced this shift firsthand as our interest in backpacking and exploration has grown in recent years. Upon our reflection of this newfound hobby, we realized that the camping equipment market was missing one thing: a “do it all” backpacking table. Our team wanted to address this need in the backpacking community by creating a versatile, lightweight, and durable camping table that will help people experience the beauty found in nature. The product design, cost, and manufacturing process were all developed and chosen with these criteria in mind. In spring of 2022, we conducted market research through public polls and think tanks. From this research, we established a target market of individuals between the ages of 18-30 years old that are active backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. This target market is a niche sub-category of the camping equipment and accessory market. Additionally, market research identified four consumer considerations: durability, versatility, weight, and affordability, all of which were considered during each phase of the design and production process. After establishing a market for our product concept, an outline of future work and procedures was established to manufacture our product. To begin, we would need to convert our drawings and ideas into an initial prototype. This phase of the manufacturing process was critical for success because it served as the foundation of what our product would be down the road. Additionally, this initial prototype was a proof of concept to prove that our design drawing was feasible. Next, our timeline called for product design and material changes based on our review of the initial prototype. These changes factored in physical limitations and manufacturing process restrictions that would be problematic in the future. For example, the primary design change was related to the coupler that holds all three table legs together at a single point. The initial design was bulky and expensive, so creating a more efficient coupler was necessary. All three previous stages of our process lead to a final product that resembled the product we set out to create. The final product was lightweight, versatile, and strong. The product itself was nearly flawless. In review of our final product, the next stage was completing a holistic profitability analysis of the end product since the primary mission of all businesses is to create income for stakeholders. We were able to complete this holistic analysis by combining data from processing time studies, material purchase orders, industry research, and target market surveys. Although we utilized this same data when making design and material decisions, the result of this end-stage financial study proved that our final product and design would be profitable

"Have You a Favorite Hymn?"

The fields of theology, social activism, hymnology, and pacifism often overlap, although it is rare to find them all represented in one artifact such as a hymnal. A hymnal alone can combine theology and music; a hymnal filled with 4000 autographs, including those of leading theologians, politicians, and activists, presents an opportunity to look deeply into the intimate choice of choosing a favorite hymn. The creation of a database to make these autographs findable is an important step towards making this unique information available to researchers. Prominent Presbyterian minister Stanley Armstrong Hunter carried hymnals with him for decades, asking people to autograph their favorite hymns. In so doing, he created unique historical artifacts revealing global ecumenical ties of the mid-twentieth century. His copy of the American Presbyterian hymnal of 1895 (rev. 1911) contains over 4000 autographs that reveal a pattern of interfaith cooperation during a time of significant religious and political change. The creation of the index of autographs and hymns serves as a gateway for researchers to understand the hymnological leanings of theologians Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr, politicians Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover, and global activists Eleanor Roosevelt and Muriel Lester. No other comparable artifact that is searchable in this way. However, because historians look closely at the personal choices of historical figures, they can now draw additional conclusions about a person’s theological or musical preferences. Each autograph in this hymnal was deciphered, recorded, and cataloged into a database, along with the title of the hymn each person chose to sign. This database crystallized international pacifist and ecumenical social networks, and revealed unique insights into the choices of influential persons. This tool can enhance historical research of prominent figures and could lead to new social network discoveries within the international ecumenical and pacifist movements of the mid-twentieth century.Publisher allows immediate open acces

Fate of Allochthonous Dissolved Organic Carbon in Lakes: A Quantitative Approach

Inputs of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to lakes derived from the surrounding landscape can be stored, mineralized or passed to downstream ecosystems. The balance among these OC fates depends on a suite of physical, chemical, and biological processes within the lake, as well as the degree of recalcintrance of the allochthonous DOC load. The relative importance of these processes has not been well quantified due to the complex nature of lakes, as well as challenges in scaling DOC degradation experiments under controlled conditions to the whole lake scale. We used a coupled hydrodynamic-water quality model to simulate broad ranges in lake area and DOC, two characteristics important to processing allochthonous carbon through their influences on lake temperature, mixing depth and hydrology. We calibrated the model to four lakes from the North Temperate Lakes Long Term Ecological Research site, and simulated an additional 12 ‘hypothetical’ lakes to fill the gradients in lake size and DOC concentration. For each lake, we tested several mineralization rates (range: 0.001 d−1 to 0.010 d−1) representative of the range found in the literature. We found that mineralization rates at the ecosystem scale were roughly half the values from laboratory experiments, due to relatively cool water temperatures and other lake-specific factors that influence water temperature and hydrologic residence time. Results from simulations indicated that the fate of allochthonous DOC was controlled primarily by the mineralization rate and the hydrologic residence time. Lakes with residence times <1 year exported approximately 60% of the DOC, whereas lakes with residence times >6 years mineralized approximately 60% of the DOC. DOC fate in lakes can be determined with a few relatively easily measured factors, such as lake morphometry, residence time, and temperature, assuming we know the recalcitrance of the DOC