A Life History: Sarah Nielsen, PhD, OTR/L

This life history is one of 29 life history interviews which are a part of a larger project, Life Histories of Individuals Who Have Been Influential in Developing Occupational Therapy (OT) in North Dakota and Wyoming. The purpose of the project is to gather information about the history and evolution of OT practice in North Dakota and Wyoming through life histories of individuals who have been influential in developing OT in these two states. It is anticipated that the life history process will be a powerful way to gather this information. This study is intended to provide current and future generations of occupational therapists a view of the history and how OT practice has evolved from its inception to current practice in North Dakota and Wyoming.https://commons.und.edu/ot-oral-histories-posters/1023/thumbnail.jp

Transforming Identity and Space Through Relational Lines in Louise Erdrich’s Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country and Lisa Bird-Wilson’s Probably Ruby

This paper challenges the Western, colonial notion of lines as divisive boundaries and instead, cultivates a reading practice that reveals the transformative potential of the line. In my analysis of two texts written by Indigenous authors, I reflect on the connection between space and stories by considering how each protagonist depicts their surroundings and its consequent effects on their identities through the framework of the relational line. In her memoir Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country (2003), Louise Erdrich (Ojibwe) travels through the land of her ancestors and in her descriptions of rock paintings, she remarks how the line “is a sign of power and communication” as it relays ancestral knowledge (45). I confirm Erdrich’s assertion in my interpretation of the representation of lines within Erdrich’s memoir as agents of interaction. This paper considers the reciprocal potential of lines in Erdrich’s depictions of land and the land’s ties to her identity, which she illustrates as inseparable from tradition and results in her reclamation of space. Because of the framework’s inherently interactive nature, I extend my analysis to a second text: Lisa Bird-Wilson’s (Métis and nēhiyaw) novel Probably Ruby (2020). My decision to analyze these two texts in tandem relates to how they enact Daniel Heath Justice’s “process of becoming” through their nuanced depictions of identity and contrasted renderings of space. I propose that Erdrich’s memoir highlights the process that Ruby encounters, wherein one’s connection to land and ancestral stories is unknown because of their removal and distance from their Indigenous heritage, which occurs through Ruby’s adoption, and results in a more abstract network of relationships and setting. Erdrich’s text prompts a compelling discussion of Ruby’s story, since it responds to the difficulty of a more abstract reclamation, with Ruby unable to navigate a physical space filled with an understanding of tradition that Erdrich is granted. I argue that through their movements that extend and return, the lines in these texts illustrate the protagonists’ reclamation of their spaces while also challenging the boundaries of lines

Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed carbon–carbon and carbon–nitrogen bond formations

Formation of new C–C bonds is a mainstay of modern molecule construction, however methods for the asymmetric construction of these scaffolds has been limited by the use of premetalated reagents or the use of catalytic methods that still require the use of stoichiometric metallic reductants. The Krische group’s approach to this bond formation utilizes the concepts of transfer hydrogen and carbonyl addition to form C–C bonds. These processes proceed through the in situ formation of a transient allylmetal species which then undergoes carbonyl addition. The research presented herein describes the development of several methods for the enantioselective construction of new C–C bonds, utilizing allenes to form nucleophilic allylmetal complexes that react with carbonyl electrophiles. Additionally, a method for the enantioselective construction of new C–N bonds is described, utilizing branched allylic acetates to form allylmetal complexes that react in an electrophilic manner with non-redox active primary and secondary amine nucleophiles.Chemistr

Bullying By Teachers: Preventative Measures in Hogwarts

In our case study, the Battle of Hogwarts, we decided to address the problem of bullying by teachers against students in the forms of discrimination, indoctrination, and maltreatment of students and how that might result in negative educational outcomes such as a lack of self-esteem, racist beliefs, discrimination, and stress. Students who were bullied before, during, and after the battle may have long-lasting problems that resulted from such instances of mistreatment. For example, professors such as Snape and the Carrows discriminated against Muggle-born students like Hermione. During the take-over of Hogwarts by the Death Eaters, Defense Against the Dark Arts was changed to the Dark Arts, therefore indoctrinating the students to Voldemort’s belief system. Finally, the use of the Cruciatus curse on misbehaving students was a form of maltreatment perpetrated by professors of Hogwarts. After reviewing the literature, as the founders of the New Age of Hogwarts, we have proposed a multidimensional and holistic solution that we will describe after defining our subject matter

Examining Time to Evacuate Dynamically Activated Aircraft Hazard Areas

The growth in launch and reentry operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) presents the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the challenge of integrating them more efficiently while also minimizing effects on other NAS users and maintaining safety. Currently, to maintain safety and account for unforeseen events such as vehicle breakup, the FAA segregates large amounts of airspace, called Aircraft Hazard Areas (AHAs), from traditional NAS users during launch and reentry operations. In order to minimize effects on NAS users, some AHAs during reentry are dynamically activated only if an unexpected event occurs. If a dynamic AHA is activated, then aircraft would have to evacuate from the AHA before debris reaches the NAS. The FAA can determine how long it takes for debris to reach the NAS (60,000 feet and below), but it does not have a capability to statistically examine how long it would take aircraft to evacuate these AHAs while considering different aircraft performance parameters, airspace traffic patterns, and controllers with different response times. The FAA could also implement smaller AHAs for launches by using dynamic AHAs, but only if they can better understand the time needed to evacuate them. The MITRE Corporation’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (MITRE CAASD) is developing a flexible, fast-time modeling and simulation capability that examines the time to evacuate these AHAs and quantifies how different factors (e.g., air traffic control notification delay, traffic orientation, and traffic density) affect those times. This paper describes this modeling capability and demonstrates potential use cases

The Role of Tourism Impacts on Cultural Ecosystem Services

Parks and protected areas are recognized for the important ecosystem services, or benefits, they provide society. One emerging but understudied component is the cultural ecosystem services that parks and protected areas provide. These cultural ecosystem services include a variety of benefits, such as cultural heritage, spiritual value, recreation opportunities, and human health and well-being. However, many of these services can only be provided if people visit these parks and protected areas through tourism opportunities. However, with this tourism use comes a variety of inevitable resource impacts. This current research connects potential impacts from tourism in parks and protected areas to the health and well-being aspect of cultural ecosystem services. We used an MTurk sample to record affective responses across a range of resource conditions. Results demonstrate that as tourism-related ecological impacts increased, positive affect decreased. Decreases in positive affect were more severe for park and protected area scenes featuring informal and/or undesignated social trails when compared to scenes with increasing levels of trampling/vegetation loss. Collectively, the results show that managing tourism in parks and protected areas in a manner that reduces impact is essential to providing beneficial cultural ecosystem services related to human health and well-being

The Roles and Benefits of Using Undergraduate Student Leaders to Support the Work of SUMMIT-P

The article by Poole, Turner, and Maher-Boulis (2020) describes one way in which undergraduates have been used to support the SUMMIT-P goal of investigating examples of how mathematics and statistics are applied in partner discipline courses. Two other universities in the SUMMIT-P consortium, San Diego State University and Oregon State University, also use undergraduates in different ways to support the work of integrating science applications into math classes. In this article, we compare and contrast these three uses to further highlight this somewhat untapped resource

Measuring Practicing Clinicians’ Information Literacy: An Exploratory Analysis in the Context of Panel Management

BACKGROUND: As healthcare moves towards technology-driven population health management, clinicians must adopt complex digital platforms to access health information and document care. OBJECTIVES: This study explored information literacy, a set of skills required to effectively navigate population health information systems, among primary care providers in one Veterans' Affairs (VA) medical center. METHODS: Information literacy was assessed during an 8-month randomized trial that tested a population health (panel) management intervention. Providers were asked about their use and comfort with two VA digital tools for panel management at baseline, 16 weeks, and post-intervention. An 8-item scale (range 0-40) was used to measure information literacy (Cronbach's α=0.84). Scores between study arms and provider types were compared using paired t-tests and ANOVAs. Associations between self-reported digital tool use and information literacy were measured via Pearson's correlations. RESULTS: Providers showed moderate levels of information literacy (M= 27.4, SD 6.5). There were no significant differences in mean information literacy between physicians (M=26.4, SD 6.7) and nurses (M=30.5, SD 5.2, p=0.57 for difference), or between intervention (M=28.4, SD 6.5) and control groups (M=25.1, SD 6.2, p=0.12 for difference). Information literacy was correlated with higher rates of self-reported information system usage (r=0.547, p=0.001). Clinicians identified data access, accuracy, and interpretability as potential information literacy barriers. CONCLUSIONS: While exploratory in nature, cautioning generalizability, the study suggests that measuring and improving clinicians' information literacy may play a significant role in the implementation and use of digital information tools, as these tools are rapidly being deployed to enhance communication among care teams, improve health care outcomes, and reduce overall costs

Effects of community-based antiretroviral therapy initiation models on HIV treatment outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in the community and outside of a traditional health facility has the potential to improve linkage to ART, decongest health facilities, and minimize structural barriers to attending HIV services among people living with HIV (PLWH). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of offering ART initiation in the community on HIV treatment outcomes. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We searched databases between 1 January 2013 and 22 February 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that compared offering ART initiation in a community setting to offering ART initiation in a traditional health facility or alternative community setting. We assessed risk of bias, reporting of implementation outcomes, and real-world relevance and used Mantel-Haenszel methods to generate pooled risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences (RDs) with 95% confidence intervals. We evaluated heterogeneity qualitatively and quantitatively and used GRADE to evaluate overall evidence certainty. Searches yielded 4,035 records, resulting in 8 included studies-4 RCTs and 4 observational studies-conducted in Lesotho, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, and Haiti-a total of 11,196 PLWH. Five studies were conducted in general HIV populations, 2 in key populations, and 1 in adolescents. Community ART initiation strategies included community-based HIV testing coupled with ART initiation at home or at community venues; 5 studies maintained ART refills in the community, and 4 provided refills at the health facility. All studies were pragmatic, but in most cases provided additional resources. Few studies reported on implementation outcomes. All studies showed higher ART uptake in community initiation arms compared to facility initiation and refill arms (standard of care) (RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.45; RD 30%, 95% CI 10% to 50%; 5 studies). Retention (RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.54; RD 19%, 95% CI 11% to 28%; 4 studies) and viral suppression (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.49; RD 15%, 95% CI 10% to 21%; 3 studies) at 12 months were also higher in the community-based ART initiation arms. Improved uptake, retention, and viral suppression with community ART initiation were seen across population subgroups-including men, adolescents, and key populations. One study reported no difference in retention and viral suppression at 2 years. There were limited data on adherence and mortality. Social harms and adverse events appeared to be minimal and similar between community ART initiation and standard of care. One study compared ART refill strategies following community ART initiation (community versus facility refills) and found no difference in viral suppression (RD -7%, 95% CI -19% to 6%) or retention at 12 months (RD -12%, 95% CI -23% to 0.3%). This systematic review was limited by few studies for inclusion, poor-quality observational data, and short-term outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Based on data from a limited set of studies, community ART initiation appears to result in higher ART uptake, retention, and viral suppression at 1 year compared to facility-based ART initiation. Implementation on a wider scale necessitates broader exploration of costs, logistics, and acceptability by providers and PLWH to ensure that these effects are reproducible when delivered at scale, in different contexts, and over time