A comprehensive examination of the evidence for whole of diet patterns in Parkinson\u27s disease: A scoping review

Both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), a progressive neurological condition, have broad-ranging impacts on nutritional intake and dietary behaviour. Historically studies focused on individual dietary components, but evidence demonstrating ameliorative outcomes with whole-of-diet patterns such as Mediterranean and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) is emerging. These diets provide plenty of antioxidant rich fruits, vegetables, nuts, wholegrains and healthy fats. Paradoxically, the ketogenic diet, high fat and very low carbohydrate, is also proving to be beneficial. Within the PD community, it is well advertised that nutritional intake is associated with disease progression and symptom severity but understandably, the messaging is inconsistent. With projected prevalence estimated to rise to 1.6 million by 2037, more data regarding the impact of whole-of-diet patterns is needed to develop diet-behaviour change programmes and provide clear advice for PD management. Objectives and Methods: Objectives of this scoping review of both peer-reviewed academic and grey literatures are to determine the current evidence-based consensus for best dietary practice in PD and to ascertain whether the grey literature aligns. Results and Discussion: The consensus from the academic literature was that a MeDi/MIND whole of diet pattern (fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, omega-3 fish and olive oil) is the best practice for improving PD outcomes. Support for the KD is emerging, but further research is needed to determine long-term effects. Encouragingly, the grey literature mostly aligned but nutrition advice was rarely forefront. The importance of nutrition needs greater emphasis in the grey literature, with positive messaging on dietary approaches for management of day-to-day symptoms

Trauma-Informed Care for Sexual and Gender Minority Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Thesis advisor: V. Paul PoteatIntimate partner violence (IPV) occurs in LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) relationships at rates equal to or even higher than cisgender heterosexual relationships (Walters, Chen, & Breidig, 2013). The health consequences of IPV are well documented (Kwako et al., 2011). Trauma-informed care (TIC) is one service approach receiving increasing support for use with IPV survivors (Warshaw, Lyon, Phillips, & Hooper, 2014). Nevertheless, there is little research exploring the association between TIC and health among LGBTQ IPV survivors. Immobilization is prevalent for IPV survivors for whom fight or flight may increase risk of violence during traumatic situations (van der Kolk, 1989). TIC might be well-positioned to counter these immobilizing effects in effort to facilitate mobilization and better health for IPV survivors. The relationship between TIC and health through mobilizing mechanisms has not yet been tested. This study examined several mobilizing mechanisms as mediating the relationship between TIC and health including: 1) lower social withdrawal; 2) lower shame; 3) greater emotion regulation; and, 4) greater empowerment. Among 227 LGBTQ adults, structural equation modeling analyses tested the relationship between TIC and health, and the mediating effects of lower social withdrawal and shame, and greater emotion regulation and empowerment on the relationship between TIC and health. Results indicated that the direct effects of TIC on mental and physical health were not significant. Indirect effects of TIC on mental and physical health through the set of mobilizing mechanisms were not significant. However, TIC did predict greater empowerment and emotion regulation and lower social withdrawal. Lower social withdrawal and lower shame also predicted better mental health, while lower shame and emotion regulation predicted better physical health. Practitioners need to uncover additional services and resources beyond TIC that could improve health among LGBTQ IPV survivors. Research should continue to examine the potential effects of TIC in addition to how it is applied in the context of evidence-based treatment programs that are adapted for sexual and gender minorities.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology

Users\u27 experiences of wearable activity trackers: A cross-sectional study

Background Wearable activity trackers offer considerable promise for helping users to adopt healthier lifestyles. This study aimed to explore users’ experience of activity trackers, including usage patterns, sharing of data to social media, perceived behaviour change (physical activity, diet and sleep), and technical issues/barriers to use. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was developed and administered to Australian adults who were current or former activity tracker users. Results were analysed descriptively, with differences between current and former users and wearable brands explored using independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney, and chi square tests. Results Participants included 200 current and 37 former activity tracker users (total N = 237) with a mean age of 33.1 years (SD 12.4, range 18–74 years). Fitbit (67.5%) and Garmin devices (16.5%) were most commonly reported. Participants typically used their trackers for sustained periods (5–7 months) and most intended to continue usage. Participants reported they had improved their physical activity (51–81%) more commonly than they had their diet (14–40%) or sleep (11–24%), and slightly more participants reported to value the real time feedback (89%) compared to the long-term monitoring (78%). Most users (70%) reported they had experienced functionality issues with their devices, most commonly related to battery life and technical difficulties. Conclusions Results suggest users find activity trackers appealing and useful tools for increasing perceived physical activity levels over a sustained period

Experiential Approach to Social Platform Design: A Case of Social Travel Application

Digital platforms focusing on tourism have become increasingly popular as companies implement them to reach out to a broader audience (McKenna et al., 2018). However, there are limited practical design guidelines that help these platforms to create values beyond marketing and outreach. Hence, this study is an attempt to explore the current state of social platform design in the context of tourism and offer a new framework to design and evaluate the next generation of social travel applications. We used a case study including a series of end-user interviews to understand how different design features of social travel platforms shape users’ experiences and how they ultimately contribute to the platform’s survivability, scalability, and profitability. Our case study included the examination of market response to a mobile application recently launched to encourage and facilitate travel by connecting travelers through shared experiences and interests without the superficiality of social media. As part of this study, we developed a series of questions regarding the design, functionalities, utility, and overall user experience of this application. The data were collected through 90 email interviews of recently joined members with 10 open-ended questions. A total of 900 anonymous responses were recorded and openly coded. Then, we categorized initial codes into four categories, value capture, value communication, value creation, and value delivery. Each category consisted of a set of sub-categories that were associated with a set of platform design features and design outcomes (user experiences). The value creation category rendered the design features related to the application’s functions such as identifying the right events, finding a travel companion, and connecting to local tour guides. The design outcomes were mainly associated with the utility of such design for potential users. For example, the findings revealed that social connections offered by the application would fail to attract a large user base if they were not tied to explicit behavioral experiences such as travel co-planning, co-organization, and co- (e.g., following a user without being able to invite her to an event). The next category, value communication, mainly included the design features related to the navigation of the socialization opportunities offered by the application. The related design features mainly evoke users’ emotional experiences—the main reason behind user retention. A successful example of value communication was the gamification of discovering different travel destinations. Further, the value delivery category reflected the mechanisms that facilitate social experiences, from creating and participating in events to obtaining social recognition by rewards, discounts, or badges. These design features were the key to differentiating the application in the market. Lastly, the value capture category rendered how the platform should generate revenues through social mechanisms. The design features were related to the business model and associated mostly with cognitive experiences (e.g., the value of money, Offer relevance). The final set of features and user experiences was translated into a list of design recommendations. While we are not able to generalize these findings to other types of digital platforms, we believe the list of design features and corresponding affordances can help with more systematic investigations of similar platforms and ultimately successful design solutions

‘Teachers are the guinea pigs’: Teacher perspectives on a sudden reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

Primary and secondary education systems experienced substantial disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about how public health policy has affected Australian teachers during the pandemic. This study examines teacher perspectives on a sudden change of policy, whereby schools were abruptly opened to students at the beginning of the pandemic. At the same time, strict social distancing rules applied to the remainder of the population. Qualitative data from 372 Western Australian schoolteachers were analysed using thematic analysis. Results highlight substantial impacts on teachers’ workloads and adverse effects on wellbeing. Perceptions that they were acting as guinea pigs and subjected to different social distancing rules than other citizens were particular stressors. Findings highlight substantial consequences of public health policies on the roles and wellbeing of teachers

Can Instagram be used to deliver an evidence-based exercise program for young women A process evaluation

Background Instagram provides an opportunity to deliver low cost, accessible and appealing physical activity content. This study evaluated the feasibility of delivering an exercise program for young women using Instagram. Methods A single-group pre- and post-intervention trial examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week Instagram-delivered program with young inactive women (n = 16; M = 23 years), which prescribed running and body weight exercises to complete three times per week. Daily Instagram posts delivered the exercises, video demonstrations and motivational content. Feasibility was evaluated by examining exposure (Instagram posts viewed per week), engagement (likes, comments and tags on Instagram posts; number of exercise sessions completed per week; retention, defined as completion of the online survey at weeks 6 and 12), and acceptability [whether the program increased participants’ motivation to exercise (1 = strongly disagree-5 = strongly agree); satisfaction with the program (1 = not satisfied-5 = very satisfied)]. Preliminary efficacy was evaluated by comparing baseline and 12-week self-reported physical activity (IPAQ short-form) and fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscle strength; 1 = very poor-5 = very good, International Fitness Scale) using the Exact sign test. Results On average, participants reported seeing six posts in their Instagram feed per week. Posts received an average of five likes (IQR = 3–6). A total of four comments and one tag were observed across all posts. On average, participants reported completing two exercise sessions per week. Retention was 88% at 6 weeks but dropped to 56% at 12 weeks. Participants reported increased motivation to exercise (Mdn = 4, IQR = 3–4) and were satisfied with the program (Mdn = 4, IQR = 3–4). Only self-reported cardiorespiratory fitness showed a meaningful, though nonsignificant, improvement (MdnΔ = 1, IQR = 0–1, p = .06). Conclusions Although Instagram has the potential to deliver a low cost, convenient exercise program for young women, additional research is needed to identify methods of improving engagement (interaction with the Instagram content, exercise sessions completed, and retention in the program). Future research could examine the use of behaviour change theory and provide information that enables participants to tailor the exercises to their interests and needs. Additionally, the use of objective assessments of physical activity and fitness among a larger participants sample is needed

The Devil is in the Details: Inland Northwest Stakeholders’ Views on Three Forest-Based Bioenergy Scenarios

Public and private initiatives are actively exploring a range of forest-based bioenergy development options in the Inland Northwest of the United States. These efforts are motivated in part by the potential to generate renewable energy while creating a market for forest residues that would facilitate hazardous fuels reduction and provide economic opportunities. Understanding stakeholders’ perspectives is critical to the feasibility and long-term viability of bioenergy projects. This study presents stakeholder perspectives on forest-based bioenergy development strategies for communities in the forested areas of Idaho, western Montana, eastern Washington, and eastern Oregon. We developed three scenarios based on bioenergy initiatives currently being explored in the region: a decentralized mobile biochar and drop-in fuel scenario, a centralized bioaviation fuel scenario, and a centralized wood pellet scenario. We then asked a range of stakeholders to identify and assess the tradeoffs they associated with each scenario during in-depth interviews. Participants were generally supportive of any viable scenario that supports forest restoration and economic development, but many favored small-scale, locally oriented bioenergy development similar to what has occurred in some rural communities related to local food systems

Learning to teach international mindedness: Being and Becoming Teachers in Communities of Practice

This chapter examines Sequence 6 of the Teaching, Learning and Leading with Schools and Communities (TLLSC) teacher education program at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Education. A core purpose of Sequence 6 is to provide an extended engagement with an experienced, cooperating teacher. By applying a field-based, apprenticeship model, candidates, cooperating teachers, and instructors work together in curriculum planning and instruction in the teacher candidate’s grade level and/or content area specialization. The chapter provides multiple approaches to teaching international mindedness drawing from diverse perspectives of three instructors, International Baccalaureate (IB) coordinators, and selected candidates. IB coordinators play a crucial role in the partnership of TLLSC. Traditionally, IB schools seek out such community partnerships to continuously build the IB community at large. Two IB coordinators contend that the partnership created between Loyola and the partnering IB schools was mutually beneficial. Teaching international mindedness is embedded throughout teaching Sequence 6 as a whole

Validity and bias on the online active Australia survey: Activity level and participant factors associated with self-report bias

Background This study examined the criterion validity of the online Active Australia Survey, using accelerometry as the criterion, and whether self-report bias was related to level of activity, age, sex, education, body mass index and health-related quality of life. Methods The online Active Australia Survey was validated against the GENEActiv accelerometer as a direct measure of activity. Participants (n = 344) wore an accelerometer for 7 days, completed the Active Australia Survey, and reported their health and demographic characteristics. A Spearman’s rank coefficient examined the association between minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recorded on the Active Australia Survey and GENEActiv accelerometer. A Bland-Altman plot illustrated self-report bias (the difference between methods). Linear mixed effects modelling was used to examine whether participant factors predicted self-report bias. Results The association between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reported on the online Active Australia Survey and accelerometer was significant (rs = .27, p \u3c .001). Participants reported 4 fewer minutes per day on the Active Australia Survey than was recorded by accelerometry (95% limits of agreement −104 – 96 min) but the difference was not significant (t(343) = −1.40, p = .16). Self-report bias was negatively associated with minutes of accelerometer-recorded moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and positively associated with mental health-related quality of life. Conclusions The online Active Australia Survey showed limited criterion validity against accelerometry. Self-report bias was related to activity level and mental health-related quality of life. Caution is recommended when interpreting studies using the online Active Australia Survey