Exploring Occupational Disruption in Newly Diagnosed Individuals with Cancer with Minor (Dependent) Children

Background: According to the American Cancer Society (2019), there were more than 1.7 million new cases of cancer in 2019 alone. Individuals are being diagnosed at a young age with 22.4% of cases occurring in individuals 22-55 years old and whom are childrearing age (Shah et al., 2017). There are an estimated 2.85 million children under the age of 18 who are living with a parent who has cancer (Shah et al., 2017). Newly diagnosed individuals face changes in daily life, the threat of possible death, and fear of dying (Compas et al., 1994). Changes in shared family roles can impact the entire family across many domains (Heiney et al., 1997; Helseth & Ulfsæt, 2005). Newly diagnosed individuals develop secondary psychosocial symptoms that impact the parenting roles and face challenges maintaining routines in the home (Kim et al., 2006; Smith et al., 2005). The purpose of this project is to further explore the impact of a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment on the individual and their family. This project also aims to investigate the role of occupational therapy in integrative therapy services. Methods: This project took place at the Knight Cancer Institute which is part of a large hospital: Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon. Needs assessment consisted of three parts: a survey to intended population, in-depth interviews with two participants using a modified version of the Occupational Circumstance Assessment and Rating Form (OCAIRS), and in-depth interviews with current instructors of the integrative therapy program. Results: Of the 10 survey respondents, eight were pre-treatment or in treatment. Of those participants, 87.5 reported their daily routine impacted by pain or fatigue. OCAIRS interviews revealed three common themes: Roles in the family became blended, independently sought additional care, and mindfulness as a strong coping tool. In-depth interviews with instructors developed common themes: Impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment, need to provide education on integrative therapies, programs typically accessed after treatment, and the value of in-home services. Discussion: Results from the survey suggest psychosocial symptoms develop at diagnosis and continue through treatment. There is a need to provide services in the home environment for parents to address psychosocial symptoms during their cancer treatment and additional resources to support their roles and responsibilities as parents of minor (dependent) children. Occupational therapists have an important role in integrative medicine within the home environment. To address psychosocial symptoms secondary to cancer, an occupation-based home program will be offered to the newly diagnosed parents at the Knight Cancer Institute. “Healing at Home” is a program guided by the occupational therapist in the natural setting of the family.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonespring2020/1020/thumbnail.jp

Improving Awareness and Access to Adaptive Sports

Adaptive sports can be defined as a recreational activity that allows individuals to improve their overall quality of life through an occupation they enjoy (Aytur et al., 2018). Barriers to participation in adaptive sports programs include a lack of resources, limited programs identified, and difficulty in finding the best program to fit the athletes’ needs (Lape et al., 2018). Adaptive sports have been seen as a holistic rehabilitative care plan that helps to improve self-esteem, build self-identity, increase confidence, and provide higher life satisfaction (DiVincenzo, 2013). Occupational therapists can play a role in helping enhance participation in adaptive sports by looking at different programs in a holistic manner to understand the program, the athletes, the volunteers and staff, and the environment (AOTA, 2019). Occupational therapy can be a significant contributor to adaptive sports through activity analysis, adaptive equipment, and helping to better understand the impact of client factors, psychosocial factors, environment, and performance (AOTA, 2019). The purpose of this capstone project is to evaluate the needs regarding access and awareness to adaptive sports and concerns of participants, volunteers, and others conducting adaptive sports programs to provide a better understanding of what is needed and how to bridge the gap to help sustain participation. This capstone project used observation, surveys, and semi-structured interviews in order to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of each participant. The findings from this capstone project indicated that participants experienced a lack of awareness of programs available and difficulties with transportation, but found a great opportunity through sports for competition and social engagement. These findings support other studies and literature reviews that report benefits to participation in adaptive sports such as building self-identity, increasing confidence, and providing higher life satisfaction, and barriers to participation such as lack of resources, limited programs identified, and difficulty in finding the best program to fit the athletes’ needs (Aytur et al., 2018; DiVincenzo, 2013; Gossett & Tingstrom, 2017). With the data found through this capstone project and with the support of other literature, there is a need for an increase in awareness, advocacy, and a role that occupational therapy can provide through activity analysis and role identification to help support and increase participation in adaptive sports.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonespring2020/1016/thumbnail.jp

Hearing voices: A narrative analysis of the senate inquiry into the social and economic impacts of rural wind farms

This is a preliminary examination of the public debate initiated as a result of the rapid expansion of wind farms in rural spaces. The study is based on a sample of submissions to the Senate Inquiry, The Social and Economic Impact of Rural Wind Farms (2011). Using a narrative analysis (Riessman 2008), the study identifies the issues raised in support of, or opposition to, wind farm developments in south-west Victoria. Narratives of personal loss or personal gain and by extension, community gain, were used to frame the stories. The narratives of loss struggled to connect to a contemporary public discourse and were as a result marginalised. The narratives of gain were found to link more successfully to themes with national and international currency that allowed the narratives to assume a 'just' stance. This study may be useful for others who engage, communicate and negotiate in the context of further wind farm developments

Artificial Intelligence And Digital Forensics

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a well-established branch of computer science concerned with making machines smart enough to perform computationally large or complex tasks that normally require human intelligence; furthermore, it comprises a combination of technologies that can obtain insights and patterns from a massive amount of data which is a crucial element of forensic analysis. This chapter focuses on AI and its subfields: machine learning and deep learning ”in general ”and also details AI and data mining techniques pertaining to digital forensics. In highlighting the current shortcomings of prevailing approaches, we propose a new approach to offer a clearer insight into potential data, and/or detect variables of interest, as well as assess the future of digital forensics in the concluding section

COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness in a UK Tertiary and Quaternary Children's Hospital: Tales of the Unexpected

We describe the adaptive coping strategies required in the management of a heterogeneous group of SARS-CoV-2 paediatric patients. The diverse range of presentations, presenting in distinct phenotypic waves, exemplified the importance of preparedness for the unknown. Lessons learned will be essential in planning for a likely second wave of SARS-CoV-2

Mas-related G-protein–coupled receptors inhibit pathological pain in mice

An important objective of pain research is to identify novel drug targets for the treatment of pathological persistent pain states, such as inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Mas-related G-protein–coupled receptors (Mrgprs) represent a large family of orphan receptors specifically expressed in small-diameter nociceptive primary sensory neurons. To determine the roles of Mrgprs in persistent pathological pain states, we exploited a mouse line in which a chromosomal locus spanning 12 Mrgpr genes was deleted (KO). Initial studies indicated that these KO mice show prolonged mechanical- and thermal-pain hypersensitivity after hind-paw inflammation compared with wild-type littermates. Here, we show that this mutation also enhances the windup response of dorsal-horn wide dynamic-range neurons, an electrophysiological model for the triggering of central pain sensitization. Deletion of the Mrgpr cluster also blocked the analgesic effect of intrathecally applied bovine adrenal medulla peptide 8–22 (BAM 8–22), an MrgprC11 agonist, on both inflammatory heat hyperalgesia and neuropathic mechanical allodynia. Spinal application of bovine adrenal medulla peptide 8–22 also significantly attenuated windup in wild-type mice, an effect eliminated in KO mice. These data suggest that members of the Mrgpr family, in particular MrgprC11, may constitute an endogenous inhibitory mechanism for regulating persistent pain in mice. Agonists for these receptors may, therefore, represent a class of antihyperalgesics for treating persistent pain with minimal side effects because of the highly specific expression of their targets

Assessing and augmenting SCADA cyber security: a survey of techniques

SCADA systems monitor and control critical infrastructures of national importance such as power generation and distribution, water supply, transportation networks, and manufacturing facilities. The pervasiveness, miniaturisations and declining costs of internet connectivity have transformed these systems from strictly isolated to highly interconnected networks. The connectivity provides immense benefits such as reliability, scalability and remote connectivity, but at the same time exposes an otherwise isolated and secure system, to global cyber security threats. This inevitable transformation to highly connected systems thus necessitates effective security safeguards to be in place as any compromise or downtime of SCADA systems can have severe economic, safety and security ramifications. One way to ensure vital asset protection is to adopt a viewpoint similar to an attacker to determine weaknesses and loopholes in defences. Such mind sets help to identify and fix potential breaches before their exploitation. This paper surveys tools and techniques to uncover SCADA system vulnerabilities. A comprehensive review of the selected approaches is provided along with their applicability

Mergers and Acquisitions in Latin America: Industrial Productivity and Corporate Governance

This paper examines the impact of industrial productivity on transnationals M&As from OECD countries towards Latin American countries in the period 1996 to 2010. It also analyzes the relationship between external mechanism of corporate governance and transnational M&As. For this purpose we use a gravitational model at the industry level. We find that industry productivity and higher standards of corporate governance in the country of origin promote transnational M&As activity. However, it is also found that higher levels of capital and technological productivity decreases transnational M&As activity

The host response to the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917: Specific up-regulation of the proinflammatory chemokine MCP-1

BACKGROUND: The use of live microorganisms to influence positively the course of intestinal disorders such as infectious diarrhea or chronic inflammatory conditions has recently gained increasing interest as a therapeutic alternative. In vitro and in vivo investigations have demonstrated that probiotic-host eukaryotic cell interactions evoke a large number of responses potentially responsible for the effects of probiotics. The aim of this study was to improve our understanding of the E. coli Nissle 1917-host interaction by analyzing the gene expression pattern initiated by this probiotic in human intestinal epithelial cells. METHODS: Gene expression profiles of Caco-2 cells treated with E. coli Nissle 1917 were analyzed with microarrays. A second human intestinal cell line and also pieces of small intestine from BALB/c mice were used to confirm regulatory data of selected genes by real-time RT-PCR and cytometric bead array (CBA) to detect secretion of corresponding proteins. RESULTS: Whole genome expression analysis revealed 126 genes specifically regulated after treatment of confluent Caco-2 cells with E. coli Nissle 1917. Among others, expression of genes encoding the proinflammatory molecules monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 ligand 2 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 alpha (MIP-2α) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 beta (MIP-2β) was increased up to 10 fold. Caco-2 cells cocultured with E. coli Nissle 1917 also secreted high amounts of MCP-1 protein. Elevated levels of MCP-1 and MIP-2α mRNA could be confirmed with Lovo cells. MCP-1 gene expression was also up-regulated in mouse intestinal tissue. CONCLUSION: Thus, probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 specifically upregulates expression of proinflammatory genes and proteins in human and mouse intestinal epithelial cells

Model International Mobility Convention

While people are as mobile as they ever were in our globalized world, the movement of people across borders lacks global regulation. This leaves many refugees in protracted displacement and many migrants unprotected in irregular and dire situations. Meanwhile, some states have become concerned that their borders have become irrelevant. International mobility—the movement of individuals across borders for any length of time as visitors, students, tourists, labor migrants, entrepreneurs, long-term residents, asylum seekers, or refugees—has no common definition or legal framework. To address this key gap in international law, and the growing gaps in protection and responsibility that are leaving people vulnerable, the "Model International Mobility Convention" proposes a framework for mobility with the goals of reaffirming the existing rights afforded to mobile people (and the corresponding rights and responsibilities of states) as well as expanding those basic rights where warranted. In 213 articles divided over eight chapters, the Convention establishes both the minimum rights afforded to all people who cross state borders as visitors, and the special rights afforded to tourists, students, migrant workers, investors and residents, forced migrants, refugees, migrant victims of trafficking and migrants caught in countries in crisis. Some of these categories are covered by existing international legal regimes. However, in this Convention these groups are for the first time brought together under a single framework. An essential feature of the Convention is that it is cumulative. This means, for the most part, that the chapters build on and add rights to the set of rights afforded to categories of migrants covered by earlier chapters. The Convention contains not only provisions that afford rights to migrants and, to a lesser extent, States (such as the right to decide who can enter and remain in their territory). It also articulates the responsibilities of migrants vis-à-vis States and the rights and responsibilities of different institutions that do not directly respond to a right held by migrants