Occupational Therapy’s Role in Adapting Residential Youth Camps for Increased Inclusion

Each year, summer camps serve more than 11 million youth in the United States (US) (Wilson, Sibthorp, & Brusseau, 2017). Summer camps provide children with new experiences and give them opportunities to build confidence, social skills, and peer relationships (Wilson et al., 2017). Occupational therapy (OT) is an emerging area of practice throughout summer camps in the US (Hanscom & Schoen, 2014). Hanscom and Schoen (2014) recommend strategically combining OT with traditional camp programming to create an emotionally, physically, and spiritually safe environment that promotes optimal attending and task follow through. Summer camp has been shown to enhance positive youth development, as it meets motivational needs and promotes intrinsic engagement (Halsall, Kendellen, Bean, & Forneris, 2016). However, not all youth have an equal opportunity to partake in the experience (Shefter, Uhrman, Tobin, & Kress, 2017). McCarthy (2015) states that two percent of American Camp Association camps exclusively serve youth with special medical needs. Further, only seven percent are inclusive (Hall, Dunlap, Causton-Theoharis, & Theohari, 2019). The purpose of this capstone project is to explore the populations served within a residential youth camp, identify barriers to participation, and recommend adaptations to the environment to promote a more inclusive setting.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonespring2020/1002/thumbnail.jp

Multi-Scale Entropy Analysis as a Method for Time-Series Analysis of Climate Data

Evidence is mounting that the temporal dynamics of the climate system are changing at the same time as the average global temperature is increasing due to multiple climate forcings. A large number of extreme weather events such as prolonged cold spells, heatwaves, droughts and floods have been recorded around the world in the past 10 years. Such changes in the temporal scaling behaviour of climate time-series data can be difficult to detect. While there are easy and direct ways of analysing climate data by calculating the means and variances for different levels of temporal aggregation, these methods can miss more subtle changes in their dynamics. This paper describes multi-scale entropy (MSE) analysis as a tool to study climate time-series data and to identify temporal scales of variability and their change over time in climate time-series. MSE estimates the sample entropy of the time-series after coarse-graining at different temporal scales. An application of MSE to Central European, variance-adjusted, mean monthly air temperature anomalies (CRUTEM4v) is provided. The results show that the temporal scales of the current climate (1960–2014) are different from the long-term average (1850–1960). For temporal scale factors longer than 12 months, the sample entropy increased markedly compared to the long-term record. Such an increase can be explained by systems theory with greater complexity in the regional temperature data. From 1961 the patterns of monthly air temperatures are less regular at time-scales greater than 12 months than in the earlier time period. This finding suggests that, at these inter-annual time scales, the temperature variability has become less predictable than in the past. It is possible that climate system feedbacks are expressed in altered temporal scales of the European temperature time-series data. A comparison with the variance and Shannon entropy shows that MSE analysis can provide additional information on the statistical properties of climate time-series data that can go undetected using traditional method

Cobalt cardiotoxicity - effects on the contractile and non-contractile cells of the heart

Exposure to cobalt is known to cause cardiotoxicity and a common source of cobalt exposure is from metal-on-metal bearings used in prosthetic joint replacements. Acute and chronic effects of cobalt at a cellular level in the heart are not well understood. This study investigated the effects of cobalt (CoCl2) treatment on contractile and non-contractile cells of the heart. We have used isolated adult rat ventricular papillary muscles to investigate the effects of CoCl2 on basal and isoprenaline-stimulated contractile responses. In addition, we used freshly isolated primary adult rat ventricular fibroblasts maintained in short-term culture to assess the effects of CoCl2 on cell viability and proliferation. Stimulation of isolated ventricular papillary muscles with the positive inotrope isoprenaline (1uM) resulted in a consistent increase (~35% increase) over the basal contractile response as expected. Following treatment with CoCl2 (1uM) for 4h, there was a dramatic reduction in both the basal and isoprenaline-stimulated contractile responses (both~40% reduction). This effect was not due to a time-dependent decrease in contractility since in separate parallel control preparations consistent increases in contraction were observed following 1uM isoprenaline challenges at time zero and after 4h without CoCl2. Examination of the effects of CoCl2 on cardiac fibroblast proliferation and viability was performed using a range of assays. To assess effects on proliferation, MTT, neutral red and crystal violet assays were all used to compare effects of increasing concentrations of CoCl2 on the Swiss 3T3 fibroblast cell line and primary cardiac fibroblasts. Over 72h, increasing CoCl2 concentrations (up to 500uM) resulted in decreased proliferation. The MTT and Crystal violet assays showed the most reproducible results with IC50 values for CoCl2 in the range of ~300uM. Interestingly, further experiments using BrdU incorporation to assess proliferation suggested that cardiac fibroblasts were more sensitive to CoCl2 treatment than Swiss 3T3s. In the former, after either 48h or 72h there was ~80% reduction in proliferation with 25uM CoCl2 and almost no proliferation following 100–150uM CoCl2. Cell viability in increasing concentrations of CoCl2 (up to 500uM) was assessed using CFDA and propidium iodide staining. The ratio of live:dead cells decreased dramatically with increasing CoCl2. Phalloidin-FITC was also used to examine cell viability and structure following treatment. With increasing CoCl2 there was evidence for increased disruption of actin filaments. In conclusion, short-term low dose CoCl2 treatment of ventricular preparations results in compromised contractile function. Treatment of non-contractile cardiac fibroblasts with higher concentrations results in decreased ability of cells to proliferate as well as long-term cell damage and death. It is likely that the cardiotoxic effects of CoCl2 are manifest in both contractile and non-contractile cells of the heart. The underlying cellular mechanisms involved have yet to be established

A Web-Based Resource for Watershed Management in Illinois

The Illinois Watershed Management Clearinghouse (IWMC) Web Site provides access to information on watersheds and their management. The IWMC includes educational materials on a wide range of issues, ranging from urban storm water and best management practices to GIS support and watershed maps. IWMC links watershed groups to allow for sharing of information, materials, and technical tools. The site effectively leverages the resources of Illinois agencies into one organized site to better serve the state. IWMC has a large amount of information pertaining to most aspects of watershed management

Determining the effects of cattle grazing treatments on Yosemite toads (Anaxyrus [=Bufo] canorus) in montane meadows.

Amphibians are experiencing a precipitous global decline, and population stability on public lands with multiple uses is a key concern for managers. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains (California, USA), managers have specifically identified livestock grazing as an activity that may negatively affect Yosemite toads due to the potential overlap of grazing with toad habitat. Grazing exclusion from Yosemite toad breeding and rearing areas and/or entire meadows have been proposed as possible management actions to alleviate the possible impact of cattle on this species. The primary objective of this study was to determine if different fencing treatments affect Yosemite toad populations. We specifically examined the effect of three fencing treatments on Yosemite toad breeding pool occupancy, tadpoles, and young of the year (YOY). Our hypothesis was that over the course of treatment implementation (2006 through 2010), Yosemite toad breeding pool occupancy and early life stage densities would increase within two fencing treatments relative to actively grazed meadows due to beneficial changes to habitat quality in the absence of grazing. Our results did not support our hypothesis, and showed no benefit to Yosemite toad presence or early life stages in fenced or partially fenced meadows compared to standard USDA Forest Service grazing levels. We found substantial Yosemite toad variation by both meadow and year. This variation was influenced by meadow wetness, with water table depth significant in both the tadpole and YOY models

Can Urethral Retroresistance Pressures Predict Midurethral Sling Outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preoperative urethral resistance pressure (URP) measurements could predict success or failure of a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) sling. METHODS: Subjects came from a previously published study comparing URP measurements to a validated urinary incontinence symptom survey (UISS). We contacted patients from that study to determine whether they had subsequently undergone TVT surgery. Within that cohort, we determined the “current” (i.e., postoperative) UISS and Sandvik urinary incontinence severity score. Success of a TVT sling in this group was defined in 4 ways: (1) postoperative UISS score \u3c 3, (2) postoperative UISS score \u3c 75% of the preoperative score, (3) postoperative Sandvik score \u3c 6, and (4) postoperative Sandvik score \u3c 2. These definitions of “success” were compared across demographic and treatment variables using the Student’s t test, ANOVA, χ 2 and ROC curves. RESULTS: We contacted 69 women who had in fact received a TVT sling after their participation in the previously published study mentioned above. Among these 69 women, mean preoperative urethral retroresistance pressure values were not predictive of surgical success. CONCLUSION: Preoperative urethral retroresistance pressure measurements did not reliably predict surgical success or failure; therefore, this urodynamic test is of little value to the clinician

Xenoestrogens from Household Plastics Bind Estrogen Receptors and Affect Cell Proliferation

Xenoestrogens are “foreign” chemicals or compounds that interact with estrogen receptors as either agonists or antagonists to interfere with endocrine system function. Xenoestrogens include phytoestrogens, pesticides, industrial by- products and synthetic estrogens. In this study, consumer plasticware, including baby bottles and food storage containers, were found to release xenoestrogenic compounds that bound to ERα and ERβ and affected cell proliferation

The Health and Well-being of Service User and Carer Educators: a Narrative Enquiry into the Impact of Involvement in Healthcare Education

Service user and carer involvement is increasing in health and social care educationas a result of UK policy directives and Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body requirements. The study aimed to elicit the accounts of service user and carer educators' experiences in practice-based healthcare education in the UK. The overall aim was to illustrate the impact this has had on their health and well-being. A narrative inquiry approach was adopted in order to give a clearer and stronger voice to service users and carers by making their experience the primary focus of enquiry.Narratives were collected from five service users and carers who had extensive experience of involvement in healthcare education. The individual narrative material obtained was distilled into key points following a naturalistic perspective, ensuring that the findings and final story were a re-presentation of the narrator's experience.Participating in the research enabled the service users and carers to articulate specifically how involvement had positively affected their health and well-being. An additional outcome included the personal artefacts that can be utilised in teaching and learning in order to bring the service user and carer voice to life.This study contributes to the emerging knowledge and understanding that service user and carer involvement in health education can be a truly collaborative, enriching experience,producing profound personal change, with improvements in health and well-being. Effective involvement is dependent upon appropriate support networks whereby service users and carers develop connections with staff and other service users and carers that result in a sense of belonging

Stress Free Temperature Testing and Residual Stress Calculations on Out-of-Autoclave Composites

Future launch vehicles will require the incorporation large composite parts that will make up primary and secondary components of the vehicle. NASA has explored the feasibility of manufacturing these large components using Out-of-Autoclave impregnated carbon fiber composite systems through many composites development projects. Most recently, the Composites for Exploration Project has been looking at the development of a 10 meter diameter fairing structure, similar in size to what will be required for a heavy launch vehicle. The development of new material systems requires the investigation of the material properties and the stress in the parts. Residual stress is an important factor to incorporate when modeling the stresses that a part is undergoing. Testing was performed to verify the stress free temperature with two-ply asymmetric panels. A comparison was done between three newly developed out of autoclave IM7 /Bismalieimide (BMI) systems. This paper presents the testing results and the analysis performed to determine the residual stress of the materials

Aging and the Effects of Conversation with a Passenger or a Caller on Simulated Driving Performance

A total of 96 pairs of older and younger drivers participated in a study assessing the effects of conversation on the driving performance of older and younger drivers in a simulated city environment. These effects were investigated while drivers conversed with an in-vehicle passenger or an outside-vehicle caller. All of the passengers completed three separate, counterbalanced blocks of tasks that consisted of two single-task blocks (driving only and conversing only) and one dual-task block (driving and conversing). The results showed greater variability in velocity, lane keeping and steering control under single-task than under dual-task conditions. Drivers also showed greater average velocity and greater deviation from the center of the lane under single-task than under dualtask conditions. However, when crossing an intersection, a task requiring greater attentional resources, drivers exhibited a cost due to the dual task. Our data are consistent with the literature, which suggests that a secondary task may aid in the performance of a routinized task but may also impose costs if the primary task requires significant attentional resources. Older drivers exhibited greater variability in velocity, stayed closer to the center of the lane, and waited longer to cross intersections than their younger counterparts, suggesting that they compensate for their declining perceptual and cognitive abilities through changes in driving behavior. Drivers exhibited greater variability in steering under singletask conditions when talking to an outside-vehicle caller, and older drivers showed greater variability in velocity when conversing with an outside-vehicle caller